Browns Trade Pitch Flips Recently Suspended Playmaker to AFC Rival

The Cleveland Browns are primed to sell off a good portion of the roster after a 1-6 start to the season, which could include a deal moving wide receiver Elijah Moore.

Cleveland suspended Moore for the first quarter of the team’s Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, its fifth consecutive defeat. However, even before those developments, NFL analysts like Marcus Mosher of 33rd Team were floating Moore as a trade chip ahead of the November 5 deadline. The organization he mentioned on October 18 as the best fit for Moore was the Kansas City Chiefs.

Other teams are actively adding weapons to their passing attack while the Chiefs have one of the league’s worst receiving corps. Kansas City doesn’t have the cap space nor draft capital to make a big move at receiver, but it doesn’t necessarily need to make one. Instead, the Chiefs could use another slot receiver who can make plays after the catch.

Moore is a fantastic route runner who can make plays after the catch, but his biggest knock is that he is a smaller receiver who is a slot-only player. The good news for the Chiefs is that they don’t need another outside receiver. Instead, they need someone who can beat 1-on-1 coverage from the slot. Moore has shown he can do that consistently, provided he has an accurate quarterback.

Browns Suspended Elijah Moore for Portion of Week 7 Game Against Bengals

GettyCleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore.

There are clearly some issues between Moore and the Browns given the events that transpired on Sunday. What the issues are precisely, though, was not information head coach Kevin Stefanski was willing to divulge to reporters who asked following the game why Moore sat out the entire first quarter.

“I’ll keep that stuff internal,” Stefanski responded.

The friction, whatever its cause, doesn’t bode well for a reunion between player and team next spring when Moore becomes an unrestricted free agent. The former second-round pick is in the final season of his $9 million rookie contract and will likely be looking for a better opportunity to shine elsewhere after failing to do so first with the New York Jets, who drafted him in 2021, and now in Cleveland.

Browns Have Little Need for Elijah Moore With Deshaun Watson Out for Season

GettyQuarterback Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns probably can’t expect a ton in trade value back for Moore, given the fact that he will essentially function as a half-year rental who has never exceeded 640 yards or 59 receptions in a single season.

Moore’s numbers have been even worse this year (22 catches for 136 yards), though Mosher pointed out that could be a quarterback issue. Deshaun Watson was largely bad under center through seven starts before tearing his Achilles against Cincinnati, which ended his season.

The options behind Watson — Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston — aren’t great either, all of which could potentially have contributed to Moore’s issues with the team this week.

The Chiefs, as well as the San Francisco 49ers, are a couple of prominent outfits that need some receiver help, which could garner the Browns something in the way of a late Day 3 pick for Moore.