Trade evaluations for Elijah Moore for the Browns and Jets: Cleveland buys cheap on a gifted WR; New York recoups a second-round pick

Trade evaluations for Elijah Moore for the Browns and Jets: Cleveland buys cheap on a gifted WR; New York recoups a second-round pick

In the NFL, Elijah Moore has found a new home. The Cleveland Browns announced that the New York Jets have agreed to deal for the third-year wide receiver. In return for Moore, New York will get the No. 42 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and will also send the No. 74 overall pick back to Cleveland as payment.
Moore was taken by the Jets in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss, and after a rookie season that saw him play in only 11 games due to a quad injury, he seemed to be a pass-catcher the offense could develop with. He caught 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns despite that during his debut season.

Nevertheless, during his second season with New York last year, Moore seemed to lose their trust and even to the point where he put in a transfer request. Ultimately, throughout the season, it never happened, as Moore ended up playing 66% of the team’s offensive snaps, which was second only to Garrett Wilson at receiver.
Moore has now left the Jets for Cleveland as they continue to negotiate a deal to obtain current Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. During the free agency period, the Jets built up a crowded wide receiver room. In addition to having players like Wilson and Corey Davis already on the roster, the club also signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman via free agency, which rendered Moore unnecessary.
His new club, the Browns, had been searching for a wide receiver to pair with Amari Cooper. With quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is anticipating his first full season with the team after last offseason’s blockbuster trade, this is Moore’s ideal landing spot because he shouldn’t get lost in the mix for targets and instead be a highlighted weapon in Cleveland’s passing attack.
Additionally, Moore has a two-season contract that is a great deal. He has a basic salary of only $1.47 million for 2023, and that amount only increases to $1.8 million in 2024, the last year of his rookie contract.
Cleveland Browns trade rankings A- For a Browns team that was in need of a backup receiver to Cooper, this was a wise trade. They also won’t have to cope with a burdensome contract since, as we already said, Moore is quite affordable over the next years. This transaction for Cleveland has a low risk but great return potential.
Jets of New York: B+
Moore was obviously the odd man out as the Jets’ wide receiver room become much too crowded. Therefore, New York actually jumped up a round at the draft by tying a third-round selection to a guy who probably wasn’t in its plans to begin with, which is not too bad. Moore’s track record will offer Cleveland a modest advantage in this transaction since there is inherent risk in choosing an unknown player at No. 42. New York now has the Nos. 42 and 43 overall selections in this year’s draft, which is a remarkable oddity of this transaction.

More in Sports: https://buzzing.today/sports/
Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/