The Bills signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks to their active roster on Tuesday. The addition of Cooks will cost fellow veteran wideout Elijah Moore his roster spot. The Bills cut Moore on Wednesday, per a team announcement. He’ll become a free agent if he passes through waivers unclaimed.
Moore had a highly productive three-year run at Mississippi, leading the Jets to take him 34th overall in the 2021 draft.
After Moore combined for 80 catches and six touchdowns in 27 games during his first two NFL seasons, the Jets traded him and the 74th pick in the 2023 draft to the Browns for the 42nd selection. The deal came several months after Moore requested a trade out of New York.
Moore went on to amass 120 receptions and score three touchdowns during a two-year, 34-game stint in Cleveland, where he earned 25 starts. However, after Moore averaged a career-low 8.8 yards per catch on 61 grabs last year, the Browns didn’t re-sign him. Over a month after free agency opened, Moore settled for the Bills’ one-year offer worth up to $5MM (including $2.5MM in full guarantees) in late April.
Buffalo’s decision to sign the 25-year-old Moore came after it largely struck out in the draft at the receiver position. The Bills selected just one wideout, seventh-rounder Kaden Prather, who’s no longer with the organization. As a result, they opened this season with Moore joining Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer, Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Tyrell Shavers as their choices at receiver.
The Bills were likely optimistic Moore would emerge as a solid target for Josh Allen, by far the best quarterback he has ever paired with in his career. It didn’t work out, though. Moore logged two starts over nine appearances with the Bills and caught just nine of 17 targets for 112 yards. His only touchdown came on a four-yard run against the Jets in Week 2.
While Moore could land elsewhere down the stretch, the 7-4 Bills will hope Cooks provides a much-needed boost to their receiving corps. The Moore pickup didn’t yield positive results, while no one from the Coleman-Palmer-Samuel-Shavers group has emerged as a consistent complement to Shakir and currently injured tight end Dalton Kincaid.
Well, if you can’t separate from coverage and get open then you can’t take a roster spot… especially if you can’t return kicks either. Moore gave them nothing. Fingers crossed Cooks can give a little.
He’s not great or anything, but I still think he has a shot to be a contributor somewhere. He’s not even 26 yet and he’s got some juice with the ball in his hands. A team whose best receiver is Shakir was never going to be the best opportunity for him.
Dude was super reliable in college hate to see him as a journeyman now. Off the top of my head, anybody from Steelers Falcons Cardinals Dolphins and Broncos could take a whack at him-
If you can’t catch passes from Allen, you suck ass
I think he has more to give. (No pun intended)
I don’t think he was used right. Lots of gimmicks and horizontal stuff.
We desperately could have used his speed outside. But noooo – we gotta force unproductive reps to Keon. He doesn’t play much.
Im not excited about Cooks either. Rather give the reps to Moore.