Elijah Moore‘s Buffalo visit will produce a deal. The Bills are bringing in the former Jets and Browns wide receiver, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.
The veteran slot receiver can earn up to $5MM on a one-year deal. Moore, who visited the Bills on Monday, will follow former Chargers starter Josh Palmer as Bills WR additions this offseason. While the Browns applied a UFA tender to Moore before Monday’s deadline (regarding the 2026 compensatory formula), he has a deal in place more than two months before that tender would have given Cleveland exclusive negotiating rights.
As Cleveland aims for a potential comp pick for Moore’s Buffalo defection, the Bills have added an intriguing piece to Josh Allen‘s weaponry cadre. Palmer has regularly played in the slot, though he has shown ability on the perimeter as well, while the team still employs ex-Carolina and Washington inside receiver Curtis Samuel. Moore joins a suddenly crowded position group, one headlined by recently extended slot anchor Khalil Shakir and 2024 second-rounder Keon Coleman.
A post-draft Brandon Beane radio interview (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg) involved the Bills’ GM taking exception to hosts’ questioning of his receiver strategy. (The team waited until Round 7 to draft a wideout this year.) While no one among Buffalo’s receiving corps has proven to be on Stefon Diggs‘ level, Shakir has overachieved based on his fifth-round pedigree. Shakir has become Allen’s top target, while the Bills will be expecting Coleman to take a leap as an outside receiver this season. Though, Shakir, Palmer, Samuel and now Moore does create a bit of a logjam in the slot.
The Bills did not draft a receiver this year, helping explain this post-draft signing, and they have not re-signed Amari Cooper. While that was mentioned as a possibility months ago, the Palmer and Moore moves effectively point to Cooper being a 2024 rental. Cooper did not move the needle much in Buffalo, which will try younger options as Shakir complementary pieces.
Moore, 25, showed promise as a Jets rookie, despite playing in an offense featuring an erratic rookie-year Zach Wilson, but did not see eye-to-eye with OC Mike LaFleur by his second season. That brought a trade request. As the Jets moved toward their Aaron Rodgers-fronted roster, they traded Moore to the Browns in a pick-swap deal headlined by a second-rounder changing hands. Moore ran into more QB trouble in Cleveland, which saw its Deshaun Watson trade fail spectacularly. Last season later brought Jameis Winston‘s usual high-variance shtick and an overmatched Dorian Thompson-Robinson post-Watson. Moore finished his Browns tenure with 640- and 538-yard seasons. He totaled 538 with a career-high five TDs in 11 games as a rookie in New York.
There is reason to view Moore as having untapped potential, as he will not turn 26 until next year and has never played with an above-average quarterback (excepting perhaps Joe Flacco‘s Cleveland cameo). The Bills will hope so, and they have him at a low rate (compared to Palmer’s three-year, $30MM pact). Samuel’s three-year, $24MM deal a fully guaranteed $6.91MM 2025 salary, making it likely he is back. It will be interesting to see how this receiver situation shakes out this offseason, as Hollins played a regular role for the Bills despite Cooper’s addition.
Needed someone here. Despite what Beane said on the radio.
Im glad we have an experienced guy, though I wish he was more if a true outside threat.
But – Im thinking Curtis Samuel isn’t quite safe with this either. This could be a shot to Samuel.
I thought Cooper was coming back but I guess he wants to return to Dallas
Please no. Amari wears out his welcome everywhere he goes.
Amari didn’t wear out his welcome in Buffalo. Fans appreciated his demeanor, he just didn’t seem to fit in the system well, which may have been complicated by the injury. My guess is most would welcome him back. Hopefully they’ll cut Samuel and have the cap to resign him.
I like this fit for moore – finally has a QB, and a top one at that. Definitely a slot guy but could be real challengeing to cover him and shakir in a 4 wide, double slot set.
Samuel is a head scratcher for me, flashes but is pretty inconsistent. More of an athlete than football player?
Samuel is a slot/gadget player. Can’t play the slot because Shakir is there and the Bills didn’t seem to want to manufacture touches for him with reverses, jet sweeps, handoffs out of the backfield. He’s a good and handy player to have, Buffalo just didn’t use him in a role that highlighted his skills.
Injured
What Beane was explaining was the draft was not the place to address this particular need. In comparison the greater need was the defense to the wide receivers.
In addition the value of those available when the Bills were on the clock was no where near that of the defense.
Allen out scored the Chiefs except in the playoffs, so once again Beane addressed that fact and loaded the Bills up to get Mahomes off the field and the ball back in Allen’s hands
Beane said nothing close to that, though unless you want to be overly generous.
He came in hot before he was ever asked a question.
He actually said he worrying about WR was the dumbest thing he ever heard. He said it was fantasy football.
He reiterated many times how many points were scored – and it is 100 percent fair to question if that is sustainable. All of that just assumes it’s automatically going to happen again.
He lost 2 – has only signed 1 at that point. – even after an early season trade bc we didn’t have enough last year.
If I wanted to give him the benefit if the doubt – he could have said something like they are always looking to upgrade everywhere and look at all possibilities. There are 100 different responses he could have chosen. Instead he came off sensitive and defensive – unprovoked.
I even like Beane – but that interaction wasn’t called for. Id expect that a GM faces criticism for every decision – someone will disagree. It is so out of character for him to be so thin skinned and unprofessional.
Whats worse – I think J and J even were complimentary of the draft – they just wanted to see WR addressed so we dont get to week 4 and need to make a trade again. (And I agree)
Moore is an upgrade, and I think plenty of upside potential, but why are we not giving Josh better weapons? Im 100 percent certain Cook will not score that many TDs again.
I listen to J and J almost daily. It is true that there is a non-zero amount of snark…but not here. And if there was, it would be a worthwhile question. Remember this is the same GM who traded two firsts for Diggs.
I recognize that defense has been the issue in the playoffs – almost every year. But Josh didn’t have a guy. He had a chance to win and the ball. It was the offense who couldn’t score as time expired.
He plenty of ammo to get a WR if he wanted. He chose to draft 3 (3!) corners after signing Tre to a decent contract. How many will make the roster? BTW still two intriguing ps guys in Daquan Hardy and Tecory Couch. If he wanted to find his way to a WR pick – he could. It was deliberate.
I like Beane. I think Beane is sharp. Really good at his job. But I also think Josh Allen covers up alot.
Four slot receivers and Kincaid and a pass catching back or two doesn’t leave a lot of options for Allen to stretch out his arm unless that 7th round WR is able to get down field. They absolutely should have drafted a prototypical outside receiver because there were really no good options available in free agency.
Moore is more versatile than a pure slot receiver. He’s pretty fast and gets open.
Not a bad WR room at all. Shakir Coleman Palmer Moore Samuels Shavers. Also cook and Davis in run game and Kincaid and GT rookie at tight end
The Bills picked a Wr in the 7th (240). They don’t want a :Stephon Diggs) type, or a clear No:1. They made great strides with many hands making light work. This room is just right now. Lots of players that can ball, 3 really good RBs, and 2 pass catching TEs.
It will be interesting to see how much difference having a good QB throwing to him makes.
His numbers seemed to indicate he didn’t separate well, but that could also be caused by an inaccurate passer.
Like Travis Hunter, Maxwell Hairston can be given 3-4 routes to run(deep). He has great hands and 4.28 speed. That will shot out Allen’s arm.
Watched him a lot the last few years and I’ve never seen someone drop so many easy catches before. Not sure if it was mental or he just has stone for hands.
Doesn’t move the needle for me. It’ll never ever happen, and I mean never, but they should sign Isaiah Bond. Just in case. That case could fall apart. It’s an interesting fact pattern. He could beat that case. Maybe. No one has a problem with Araiza anymore it seems.
Are you okay?
Younger than Tyler Shough..
Moore is talented but definitely has had drop problems in the past. Still, he could be a major deep threat for Josh Allen.