After requesting a trade in the middle of the 2022 season, Elijah Moore is finally on his way out of the Big Apple. The New York Jets traded the disgruntled wide receiver to the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, ESPN reported.
The Jets are sending Moore and pick No. 74 (third round) in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Browns in exchange for pick No. 42 (second round).
The trade comes on the same day the Jets agreed to terms with free-agent wide receiver Mecole Hardman. According to NFL Media, Hardman’s one-year deal could be worth as much as $6.5 million.
Moore’s trade request came because of a lack of targets from quarterback Zach Wilson. Despite playing in five more games in 2022 than in 2021, Moore finished last season with fewer yards, targets, touchdowns and receptions. He caught 37 passes for 450 yards and a touchdown in 2022.
The Browns, meanwhile, hope he will provide them with something closer to his rookie season output, which saw him rack up 538 yards and five touchdowns in just 11 games.
The 2021 second-round pick will join forces with Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones and David Njoku as the Browns’ top targets for quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Browns and Watson are coming off a disappointing season that saw them finish last in the AFC North.
As for the Jets, they now have back-to-back picks in the second round of this year’s draft with pick Nos. 42 and 43. They’ve also made several acquisitions at wide receiver to offset Moore’s loss, including the signings of Allen Lazard last week and Hardman on Wednesday. The team already has reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson in the building.
The Jets’ wide receiver room is beginning to take shape as they continue to negotiate with the Green Bay Packers about a trade for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
