Grading the trade: Browns land Elijah Moore from Jets for swap of Day 2 picks (original) (raw)

Supply met demand Wednesday, as the Browns and Jets reached a mutually beneficial deal for wide receiver Elijah Moore.

The Browns acquired Moore and a third-round draft pick (No. 74) for a second-rounder (No. 42), according to league sources.

Why they made the move

The Browns need receivers, and the Jets have too many.

The Browns have been aggressive on the receiver front this offseason, and they found a way to get creative when other options, including Denver’s Jerry Jeudy, were deemed too pricy.

GO DEEPERNFL Beat Writer Mock Draft 2.0: QBs go quickly, a surprise trade and an Aaron Rodgers stalemate

Moore should become a solid No. 2 option behind Amari Cooper and help round out a passing attack that also features tight end David Njoku and wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones. Still, expect the Browns to continue adding pass-catchers, whether it’s through the draft or the remaining lower-priced options in a relatively pedestrian free-agent market.

The Jets, meanwhile, are headlined at receiver by 2022 first-rounder Garrett Wilson, and they have already added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman in free agency. Corey Davis and Denzel Mims are also under contract. It’s surely no coincidence the Moore trade happened shortly after the Jets reached their agreement with Hardman on a one-year deal worth up to $6.5 million, according to a league source.

And while the Jets didn’t necessarily increase their pick load, the 42nd selection should be an attractive part of a package for any team that may be on the verge of trading for a 39-year-old quarterback.

Trade grade (Browns): A

Moore, who was the 34th pick in the 2021 draft, had a strong finish to his rookie season when he totaled 43 catches for 538 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. And even though he seemed to be on his way to a bigger 2022 with an encouraging offseason, things just didn’t take off — like so much of the Jets’ passing attack last season — and he fell out of favor.

GO DEEPERBrowns defensive depth chart: How free-agent additions fit and what priorities remain

Now, Moore has a chance to play with a more accomplished quarterback in Deshaun Watson, and he should theoretically get back on track. Even better, the Browns have Moore under contract for the final two years of his rookie deal, so he could vastly outplay his contract.

This was a clever way to land a talented receiver in the midst of a challenging market.

Trade grade (Jets): B-plus

The only knock here is it would have been nicer to see Moore get a chance in the new-look offense because the talent he showed in 2021 was no fluke.

But right now, it’s understandable what New York is doing. Davis and Mims don’t have nearly the same trade value, and the Jets are trying to compile assets to convince the Packers to relinquish Aaron Rodgers, who declared to the world last week his intention to head east.

GO DEEPERJets' offseason to-do list: Trading for Aaron Rodgers is just the start for Joe Douglas

The Jets have executed a series of moves over the past week and a half to position themselves for the Rodgers offense, and this was the latest step.

(Photo: Cooper Neill / Associated Press)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Jeff Howe is the NFL National Insider for The Athletic. A native of Lowell, Mass., and a UMass graduate, he previously covered the New England Patriots from 2009-21. Howe, who has been with The Athletic since 2018, is the author of “If These Walls Could Talk: New England Patriots.” Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffphowe