CLEVELAND — After spending the first week of free agency focusing on their defense, the Cleveland Browns have turned their attention to their offense, acquiring wide receiver Elijah Moore in a trade with the New York Jets.
In exchange for Moore, Cleveland will send New York a second-round pick (No. 42 overall), which was slated to be the Browns' top selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. In addition to Moore, Cleveland will receive a third-round pick (No. 74 overall) from the Jets. ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report the news.
Selected out of Ole Miss in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft (No. 34 overall), the 22-year-old Moore enjoyed a strong rookie season, catching 43 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns, adding 54 yards and an additional score on the ground in 11 games. In 2022, however, he saw his production slip to 37 catches for 446 yards and one touchdown as he saw his targets drop from 77 to 65 despite appearing in 16 of the Jets' 17 games. He was also benched for one game after requesting a trade.
In coming to Cleveland, Moore will be counted on to add some much-needed speed to the Browns' offense as he joins a wide receiving corps that already includes Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and 2022 third-round pick David Bell. Moore could quickly become a favorite of Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is entering his first full season as the Browns' signal-caller after missing the first 11 games of the 2022 season due to a suspension for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy.