The Cleveland Browns accepted this wasn’t their year when they decided to trade Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills, and Elijah Moore could be the next receiver in line. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Mississippi product began his career on a high note, recording 43 receptions for 538 yards and five touchdowns on 77 mostly-poor targets from a rookie Zach Wilson. While he appeared to be on the rise, his career took a nosedive in 2022, recording just 37 receptions for 446 yards and a touchdown. New York traded him to the Cleveland Browns following the arrival of Aaron Rodgers, and he’s had mixed results in his new home.
The former top-40 pick had a relatively strong 2023, hauling in 59 receptions for 640 yards and two touchdowns on 104 targets. However, 2024 has been his worst year to date, as he’s recorded just 16 receptions for 95 yards in six games. Elijah Moore might not reach his pre-draft potential, but it’s worth noting that the trade candidate has had yet to catch passes from a starting-caliber quarterback. While he’s not on the top of anyone’s trade list, a desperate team like the Kansas City Chiefs or New Orleans Saints could kick the tires and see what he can do in a better environment.
Chiefs, Saints Could Trade For Elijah Moore As Browns Start Selling
The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t trading for Davante Adams, but losing Amari Cooper to the Bills must hurt. Despite winning the Super Bowl last year, the Chiefs knew they had a glaring weakness at wide receiver and tried to fix it with free agent signee Marquise Brown and first-round pick Xavier Worthy. While Worthy is still on the field, Brown and incumbent Rashee Rice are down for the season. With only Worthy and an aging Travis Kelce, the Chiefs could make a low-risk, medium-reward trade for Elijah Moore.
Now 5-0 after their bye week, the Chiefs are one of the NFL’s elite teams and don’t need an elite wide receiver to carry their offense. While someone like Diontae Johnson certainly wouldn’t hurt, they could get by with an Elijah Moore trade. Perhaps Moore never becomes anything more than a reliable third or fourth option on the depth chart, but that’s still considerably better than Skyy Moore. Kansas City will remain the team to beat as long as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are around, but Moore could be the player who makes a crucial catch in a postseason contest.
Saving the Saints
The Saints are one of the most banged-up teams in football, and it’s only getting worse with the Rashid Shaheed injury. With Shaheed, Chris Olave, Derrick Carr, and over half of the offensive line suffering through some kind of ailment, New Orleans must add some outside help if they want to salvage what’s left of their 2-4 season. Fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler can keep the ship afloat with the right support, and an Elijah Moore trade could be just what the doctor ordered.
New Orleans reportedly wanted Davante Adams, but the Carr injury made investing significant draft capital in a short-term player unwise. Elijah Moore might not develop into a featured part of the Saints offense, but it shouldn’t cost too much to trade for him. Chances are, New Orleans wouldn’t have to forfeit more than a late-round pick swap for his services. Seeing as head coach Dennis Allen needs to make the playoffs to save his job, this is a wise, low-risk investment for both the team and the coach.
Main Photo: Corey Perrine – USA Today Sports
