Shortly after agreeing to terms with Mecole Hardman, the Jets have a trade in place involving one of their holdovers. They are sending Elijah Moore to the Browns, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
A former second-round pick, Moore will head to Cleveland in a deal involving a Day 2 pick swap. The Browns will send their No. 42 overall pick for Moore and the Jets’ No. 74 overall choice, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Two years remain on Moore’s contract; he is going into his age-23 season.
As the Jets’ wide receiver room became crowded, the Browns were connected to wideout interest. The team was looking into Jerry Jeudy, but the Broncos have continued to set a high price for teams regarding their top pass catcher. Instead, Cleveland will add Moore to its receiving corps as a slot piece to pair with Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
This will be a nice vault up the draft board for the Jets as well. Moving up 32 spots, the Jets now hold the Nos. 42 and 43 overall picks. Although the Packers have been seeking a first-round pick and change for Aaron Rodgers, the Jets now having two mid-second-round choices figures to come up in the Joe Douglas–Brian Gutekunst trade talks involving the superstar quarterback.
Moore voiced frustration about his role last season and asked the Jets to trade him. The 2021 second-rounder, who was sent home after a heated argument with then-OC Mike LaFleur ahead of a midseason hiatus, did not match his rookie-year numbers in 2022. But Zach Wilson‘s presence hindered Jets receivers, hence the all-out Rodgers pursuit. In reaffirming the team’s desire to retain Moore, Douglas issued strong support for the disgruntled wideout in November. Four months later, Moore has a new team.
As a rookie, Moore showed immediate promise coming out of Ole Miss. The 5-foot-10 target caught 43 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns, reaching these numbers despite Wilson’s inconsistency and despite missing six games. The Browns will bet on Moore’s upside with Deshaun Watson targeting him, and the team will move out of another early draft slot to do so. The Watson trade cost the Browns their first-round picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Cleveland’s first 2023 draft choice will now arrive at No. 74.
Moore, who clocked a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at his pro day two years ago, is due base salaries of just $1.5MM and $1.9MM this season and next. This bet on potential notwithstanding, it does invite some risk for the Browns. Cleveland has now traded out of the first and second rounds of the draft, and the Watson swap also will send the Browns’ 2023 third-rounder (No. 73) to the Texans. Cleveland does have a compensatory third-rounder — No. 98, acquired from the NFL for the Vikings hiring ex-Browns exec Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as GM — but sliding down from No. 42 to No. 74 will make for a long wait on draft night.
The Jets targeted Moore on just 13% of his routes run last season, per ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who adds that was a league-low number for players who ran at least 400 routes. Paired with Cooper and Peoples-Jones, Moore should have a clear-cut opportunity in Cleveland. His exit will also free up space in a Jets receiver room that has seen both Hardman and Allen Lazard added since free agency started.
Gang Green’s receiver cadre now includes Hardman, Lazard, Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims. While Mims is an obvious candidate not to be part of a Rodgers-led receiver room, it will be interesting to see if the Moore trade allows for Davis to avoid cap-casualty status — the Jets can save $10.5MM by cutting him — or enables the team to pursue Odell Beckham Jr. and/or Randall Cobb. Rodgers is believed to have encouraged the Jets to sign both players, and they have begun doing so. Hardman’s arrival throws a wrench in both OBJ and Cobb coming to the Big Apple, but the Jets still have some space to add another weapon soon.
Ugh. Not that he’s exactly lived up to the hype, but he’s had extraordinarily bad QB play. He’s a strong add for Cleveland. I’d rather have two more years of Moore’s rookie deal and a third than one year of Hardman and a second, but I wonder if this has more to do with Green Bay’s pick demands.
Moore was probably always going to be moved this offseason. He doesn’t want to be there, and he’s not good enough to justify ‘holding hostage’ and risk him causing more drama and disruption off the field, especially with how important the coming season will be with Rodgers.
They can’t have ‘Moore’ tantrums when he’s not utilized the way he’d like to be.
I mean, having a QB hit him when he’s wide open is reasonable utilization to want.
Both comments seem correct. Ideally, you’d want to hold on to your second round picks, especially athletic ones on rookie deals. If they must go, however, it’s wise to recoup value for them (even if it is just moving up rather than actually adding a new pick in the draft). Hardman is the same type of player broadly speaking, but obviously will be more expensive and the slightest bit older than Moore on a rookie deal. I think that on Cleveland’s end, this is a good add for a RAC friendly QB.
The Jets would have been better off with Moore and their new receivers, but they did get value for a player who may have just not been happy with the team. If Hardman is injured or is ineffective, this trade will look pretty bad for New York, but if he stays healthy, they should be able to use him to do perform some of Moore’s responsibilities. Who thought that Moore would beat Mims, though, on the way out?
The Jets are weird.
for ripping off the Browns?
Eh not really a rip off at the moment.
This one could come back and bite the Jets in the butt.
Jets moved up roughly 35 spots in the draft. Browns moved down 35 spots and picked up Moore who has 2 years left on his rookie deal.
Really depends on who the Jets draft at 42 compared to Moore’s production + who the Browns draft at 74 before we call it a rip off.
Browns could also place a tag on Moore such as original round tender when he is a free agent in 2025.
Steelers could use him?
Browns swapped their second round pick for a third round pick and got Moore. Easy win for the Browns.
Nice pickup for Cleveland. Always seemed underused in NYJ with their poor QB play
ya he’ll have deshaun Watson throwing him the ball now
Cause that’s the Browns QB.
Underused because he quit running his routes after 2 seconds lol
This pick going to green bay
Seems like the likeliest outcome, yeah
So there’s room for a couple more Packers castoffs as the Jets shuffle their roster. Yeah, I know. They brought in Hardman. But they overpaid on one former Packer and likely aren’t done yet, all to accommodate the diva
I believe the Rodgers trade will be a first round pick swap plus the jets second rounder. Today’s trade replaces that second for the jets. I also believe there will likely be a mid round contingent pick in the 24 and 25 drafts that GB might also get.
Any shot of Moore being packaged in the Rodgers trade are now gone.
If I’m not mistaken, Davis has been mentioned to possibly be in the Rodgers deal, or perhaps a separate yet related deal, but somehow being sent to GB. We’ll see what happens. Maybe GB trades Savage for him straight up, as a favor to open another spot on the Jets roster for Cobb, Lewis, Greg Jennings, Jake Kumerow and/or Jeff Janis…
Sterling Sharpe is dusting off his cleats.
on real note, he was such a great WR before the neck injury.
Sterling never played with Rodgers though.
@beer, my first thought as well, since Jets didn’t want to part with their 1st. Although rare, I wonder if the draft comes, if there is a pick and swap deal, but I think the Pats go defense and don’t see GB going def in 1st.
@jope I hear you on Davis but not sure he has much value given jets rumored to maybe cut him. I think Pack want one of the edge from Iowa or the TE from notre dame or the best tackle. Not safety or WR.
I don’t get to say this often: solid move by the Browns and worth the risk.
Cooper
Moore
DPJ
Njoku
Chubb
Yeah, I’d roll the dice too
That’s a nice deal for the Browns. They really didn’t even give up anything for a high upside player, just moving down spots.
It seems like the Browns got someone as good as what they would have gotten at #42 and they got an additional 3rd. Solid move and cheap contract. They needed speed
I’m just not understanding the Jets doing all these moves for Rodgers. The Bucs didn’t even do that for Brady. I think Rodgers is going to be a one or two year blip, Douglas will get fired and then they’ll start from scratch. If Rodgers was 30 and not a head case, I would think differently.
^^ THIS. Exactly what makes Brady great. He’ll take whoever he can and help elevate everyone’s game. He doesn’t need a specific players or an OC to succeed.
Was this a joke?
The Bucs were already the 3rd highest scoring offense the year BEFORE Brady got there despite turning it over 40+ times, he then had Gronk come out of retirement and had the team sign Antonio Brown to go along with a cast that already included Godwin and Evans. Then just this past year he lobbied for and got Julio Jones to come to Tampa along with the team signing Russell Gage. The revisionist history from you Brady jock riders is too much.
Chances both 2’s go to GB instead of a 1?
Slim and none
This is what happens when the owner interferes with team personnel. The Jets should’ve went after Carr. Instead they’re wasting away moves to appease someone they don’t have. And while I’m sure they’ll get their guy, acquiring captain ego may only set them back after all is said and done.
Will Mims go to GB in Rodgers trade?
Actually, I don’t think so. Davis will be a cap casualty if he’s not included in the deal, but Hackett expressed hope in tapping into Mims’s potential. This could be something that coaches say when joining a new club, but maybe the hope is that he’ll be a deep threat for Rodgers.
I thought they should send Moore…. he moves the needle more but that’s just me.
Two teams notorious for shooting themselves in the foot going head to head…lol.
I literally despise the Browns…. but this is a good move. I think the Jets messed up. They’ve let go of a lot of young talent for older more expensive and I just wonder how all that works out.
I like the idea of trading for guys coming off of a bad situation. Not really a Watson fan but it’s a lot better with Watson throwing at you than Wilson.