Elijah Moore on the Move, Traded to Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns address a position of need Wednesday, acquiring WR Elijah Moore from the Jets. Along with Moore, the Browns receive the Jets’ third-round pick in April’s draft in exchange for Cleveland’s second-rounder, which is the 42nd overall pick.

Tapped as a rising star following a solid rookie season in 2021, Moore sputtered out of the gate last year and briefly stepped away from the team as trade rumors clouded his status with the Jets. To his credit, Moore returned to the team and was able to right the ship down the stretch. Still, he was significantly outshined by rookie standout Garrett Wilson.

Moore will get a chance at a second act in Cleveland, but he will not start out with a lead role. Amari Cooper is locked in as the top target following his 78-catch season in 2022. Instead, Moore will battle with Donovan Peoples-Jones for No. 2 duties. That’s no easy task, as Peoples-Jones is coming off a mini-breakout season. While there’s certainly opportunity for Moore to contribute significantly, the move isn’t a boon for his fantasy stock. At this point, he’ll hover on the edge of the fantasy radar, but be prepared to pounce if he manages to out-compete Peoples-Jones for Deshaun Watson’s attention.

Of course, for Watson, this move is a very good one. Cooper and Peoples-Jones are a solid duo, but the team was sorely lacking a viable third option. Second-year man David Bell was forgettable in his rookie season. Literally. It seemed like both Watson and Jacoby Brissett forgot Bell was on the field. Despite playing 514 snaps, Bell saw just 35 targets and caught 24 balls. Moore is a sizeable upgrade on Bell.

As for Moore’s former team, the Jets quickly filled his spot on the depth chart with Mecole Hardman. While Hardman gives New York more speed, he’s almost certainly going to be buried in the target pecking order with Wilson, Allen Lazard and likely Corey Davis ahead of him. Hardman isn’t a good bet to be a viable option in redraft leagues.