NEWSLETTER
Here we go again with the disgruntled New York Jets receivers.
First, it was Denzel Mims asking for a trade out of town back in August. Fast forward two months, and teammate Elijah Moore is apparently asking for one of his own.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has the scoop:
Rapoport hears from league sources that there is frustration on Moore’s end regarding his role and usage.
And I suppose this isn’t the first time that has popped up as an issue. Moore tweeted and deleted this, which was captured and shared by PFF:
OK, so Moore has legitimate beef. It’s not that he got just one target last week against the Packers. Because that is just the latest data point in a tend. Moore has just 29 total targets, 16 catches, 203 receiving yards, and no touchdowns in six games this season. That puts him on pace for just 82 targets, 45 catches, and 575 receiving yards over 17 games. This type of production is similar to what he did in 11 games (6 starts) last season (43-538-5). So, yeah, I understand Moore’s desire to want out.
But if I were Bears GM Ryan Poles, I’d dial up the Jets upon seeing this report cross my phone. Because even though Poles isn’t in a place to give away assets, dealing for Moore would be worth an exception. I don’t necessarily even care that Rapoport notes the team isn’t planning on honoring the request. This is still a phone call the Bears (and 30 other teams) should make.
If Moore wants targets, then I can’t think of a better place to get traded to than the Bears.
It’s not as if this team has a sure-fire WR1 on its roster right now. Sure, Darnell Mooney is the defacto No. 1 receiver. But there is room for Mooney and Moore to split the lion’s share of the targets. And looking ahead, we know Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, and N’Keal Harry are under contract through only this year. So there could be opportunities for volume this year and in the years to come. I suppose the counter-argument is that the Bears might not throw enough to satisfy Moore’s desire to catch a bunch of passes and rack up yards. However, that counter can be flipped by arguing Chicago doesn’t have much in terms of receivers worth throwing to at this time. In any case, this feels like an opportunity for a forward-thinking team to bring in a quality young wideout like Moore who can grow with this offense.
The second-year receiver was a top-10 receiver prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft. Moore was the eighth-highest ranked receiver prospect on the BN Composite Ranking scale (which uses PFF, ESPN, The Draft Network, and PFN rankings adapted to a points scale. Moore closed his college career with a bang, catching 86 balls, putting up 1,193 receiving yards and scoring eight touchdowns. That production made him a Consensus All-American and first-team All-SEC player in his final year at Ole Miss. And ultimately, this led to his selection by the Jets (34th pick, 2021 NFL Draft). In other words, Moore checks a bunch of boxes. He is still young (22), has upside, and has the motivation to prove he deserves more looks. Sounds like a Poles type to me.
Go make that call.
