Ex-Jet Moore eager to start over with Browns
CLEVELAND >> Elijah Moore made headlines in New York last season for everything except clutch catches or touchdowns.
He grumbled about a diminished role as the Jets shuffled quarterbacks. He clashed with the offensive coordinator. He demanded a trade.
Mistakes? A few. Regrets? None.
“I wouldn’t do anything over,” he said.
Getting a fresh start in Cleveland, Moore spoke excitedly on Thursday about joining the Browns, who looking for another playmaker for QB Deshaun Watson and some needed speed, acquired him from the Jets for the No. 42 pick in this year’s draft.
New York also parted with the No. 72 pick in the swap, which caught the 22-year-old Moore by surprise.
“It was like out of nowhere,” he said.
That might be an exaggeration.
Moore had made it clear he wasn’t happy in New York, and he had to suspect something was coming Wednesday when the Jets added twitchy wideout Mecole Hardman while stocking the cupboard in hopes of completing a deal for Aaron Rodgers. Hardman essentially replaced Moore.
Moore has already spoken to Watson. And while praising his new teammate, he seemed to deliver a message to the Jets about their shifting QB situation.
“He’s a legit quarterback,” said Moore, who had 37 catches and one TD last season. “It’s someone that has been doing some amazing things around the league. He has respect from everybody around the league. They talk really highly about him here and they believe in him.
“And man, with him being my quarterback, I believe in him too. So, I’m just grateful to be one of his guys.”
Moore’s skillset aligns with what the Browns were desperately missing: a receiver capable of stretching defenses to create space for others along with being a downfield option for Watson.
That’s what he was doing in New York, and after a promising rookie season in 2021 (43 catches, five TDs), he started well last season before things began to unravel.
Frustrated with a lack of touches, he asked for a trade during New York’s three-game winning streak. Then, frustrated by not being targeted in a win over Green Bay, Moore had a confrontation with former coordinator Mike LaFleur during practice, was sent home and benched for the next game.
In retrospect, Moore believes those experiences helped him mature.
“I wouldn’t take anything back,” he said. “Would I have worded some things differently? Yes, but not take anything back. My heart was always in the right spot. I never move without intention. I’m very intentional.
“So especially in a positive way. And I always move with respect. So if that’s my intentions, I don’t have nothing to regret.”
He’s moving forward with the Browns, who explored other receiving options this offseason before general manager Andrew Berry pulled off his second significant trade for a wide receiver in a little more than a year.
Last March, Cleveland dealt for Amari Cooper, who was not only the team’s top receiver in 2022 but an invaluable leader.