Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore attended OTAs on Tuesday after posting a fiery message on social media over the weekend.
Moore skipped the Browns’ first set of voluntary workouts from May 21-23. It drew some criticism with the fourth-year pass-catcher heading into a contract year. He posted his response to the negative buzz on social media.
“Outwork everyone! Dats always been my mindset. F*** all the what he say, he thinks/ she thinks keee keee kee,” Moore posted on May 26. “One min Dey on ya, one min Dey not the next Dey back on. Jussss workkkkk. Never STOP. F*** em we ball. God the glory for it all. Yall be up n down. God stays solid.”
He’s looking to put that behind him and showed up ready to roll alongside his Browns teammates, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
“[Moore] attended organized team activities No. 4 on Tuesday, and will probably be here the whole week,” Cabot wrote. “Like many Browns veterans, he’s popped in and out of the voluntary offseason program — which the NFLPA seeks to abolish as soon as next year — and also has an extensive workout program of his own, like most do.”
Browns See More Upside With Elijah Moore
Moore recorded career highs with 59 catches for 640 yards, but his debut season in Cleveland still left something to be desired. The Browns see Moore taking another step next season, especially with Deshaun Watson expected to be under center for the entire season.
“Just look at the numbers. He has a career year and I think that was for a reason. I feel really strongly about him the player. As you know, when you’re moving different quarterbacks in there, that can affect it,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said in February. “You look at the Jets game where Amari (Cooper’s) out and Elijah went right to the focal point and was making plays up and down the field before he got hurt. So I know what he’s capable of, and after a career year, we anticipate him even getting better.”
The difference for Moore this year will be that Jerry Jeudy will be in the mix, eating up some additional targets. Jeudy will likely be the No. 2 option behind Cooper. The Browns traded for Jeudy in March and quickly inked him to a three-year extension.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Looking Like Himself
The Browns utilized five different quarterbacks last season and the lack of continuity threw a wrench in the passing game’s production. Cleveland hopes that Watson will be able to put in a full season after playing in just 12 games through his first two years in a Browns’ uniform.
Watson is coming off season-ending shoulder surgery but has been throwing during OTAs. He’s expected to be ready for Week 1 and the Browns have liked what they’ve seen so far.
“He looked like himself to me,” Stefanski said on May 22. “I’ve been able to watch him the last couple of weeks now that we’ve gotten into Phase 2. I’ve seen him throw. He’s making great progress and we’ll continue to just follow the medical team on this, but he looks like himself.”
Watson has passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions with the Browns.
J.R. DeGroote covers the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote
