CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns made their biggest offensive splash of the offseason, acquiring wide receiver Elijah Moore in a trade with the New York Jets.
Here are three things to know about Moore, who the Browns acquired along with a third-round pick in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Sure-handed, speed, versatility
Let's start with what Moore will bring to the field for Cleveland.
At 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds, Moore is hardly the most physically imposing presence. But what he lacks in size, he makes up for in a variety of ways, including his speed, versatility and sure-handed nature.
Clocking a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day at Ole Miss, Moore will provide some much-needed explosiveness to the Browns' offense. What's more is that he matches his speed with precise route running, as well as a proven ability to secure the football, as evidenced by his 102.8 percent true catch rate (via PlayerProfiler.com) in 2022 and that he tallied just four total drops over the course of his first two seasons in New York.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the 22-year-old's arrival in Cleveland is where he'll be featured in the Browns' offense.
After he primarily played in the slot during his college career, the Jets played Moore on the outside during his rookie season and he responded by catching 43 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns on 77 targets in 11 games. Midway through the 2022 season, however, he was moved back inside in an effort to create more opportunities for him.
The results were mixed -- Moore caught 37 passes for 446 yards and one touchdown in 16 games -- although New York's inconsistent quarterback play and a lack of targets (65 on the season) were factors. In Cleveland, Moore's versatility will likely be on full display, as he could line up in the slot in between Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, play outside, or even line up in the Browns' backfield with quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Infamous Egg Bowl incident
While Moore quickly established a reputation as one the NFL's most dynamic young wide receivers, he was once better known for an on-field incident that occurred during his sophomore season at Ole Miss.
With the Rebels trailing Mississippi State 21-14 in the 2019 edition of their rivalry game -- "The Egg Bowl" -- Moore caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Corral with four seconds remaining in the game. But while it appeared that Ole Miss would tie the game, the Rebels were penalized 15 yards on the extra point after Moore celebrated the touchdown by getting on all fours and mimicking a dog urinating.
Following the 15-yard penalty, Ole Miss kicker Luke Logan missed the ensuing extra point, sealing a 21-20 Bulldogs win. Speaking to The Athletic in 2021, Moore's wide receivers coach in college, Jacob Peeler, defended his former star player.
“When I say the furthest from who that kid is and what he does? He is the last person — the last person. Some people were probably upset and are probably still upset, but I remember driving home that night and feeling so bad for him because that’s not who he is. It’s not what he is. It’s not. If you asked me to list the kids in my room who would do something like that … Elijah would have been last.”
Asked one year later about the incident, Moore (via ESPN) said: "Just working hard and changing people's perspective on me because they don't really know the real me. Not even to prove to everyone else, but just to prove to myself that an action like that wasn't myself. Just to learn from it. That's been the best part. Having a lesson like that to be learned and to grow from it and for people to see the growth."
The Big Apple
Playing in eight games during a 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moore tallied 86 receptions for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns. He was considered one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft, where the Jets selected him with the second pick of the second round (No. 34 overall).
The former 4-star prospect, however, failed to build on his promising rookie season, as his frustrations with his lack of targets led to a midseason trade request. Moore was ultimately held out of the Jets' Week 7 win over the Denver Broncos, following an outburst at practice that preceded his trade request.
According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Moore reportedly told New York offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur to "go f--- yourself" during the outburst, which followed a win over the Jets. Moore ultimately wasn't traded, until shortly after the Jets signed free agent wide receiver Mecole Hardman on Wednesday.