Is Elijah Moore Making The Wrong Decision By Skipping OTAs
Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore might be entering the final year of his contract, but his decision to hold out of OTA’s is the wrong one. Moore took to social media to give the world an idea of why he wasn’t with the Browns during practice.
“Outwork everyone! Dats always been my mindset. F*** all the what he say, he thinks/ she thinks keee keee kee, one min Dey on ya, one min Dey not the next Dey back on,” Moore wrote on Twitter. “Jussss workkkkk. Never STOP. F*** em we ball. God the glory for it all. Yall be up n down. God stays solid.”
There was some chatter around the Browns about Moore being gone from practice, something he seems to be responding to on social media. Moore seems to be thinking he’s making the right decision by skipping OTAs while defending himself on social media, but both are terrible decisions.
Last offseason, the Browns sent off their second-round pick in return for Moore and a third-round pick. The Browns were trying to find someone to pair alongside Amari Cooper, and Moore filled that role well. The former Ole Miss standout caught 59 passes for 640 yards and two touchdowns.
It makes sense that Moore wants a new contract, but the leverage he has by holding out might not be as much as he thinks. The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Ken Dorsey, and the offense is going to look a little different. By skipping OTAs, Moore could be behind the eight ball in terms of getting comfortable in the new system. The wide receiver room for the Browns is also a lot more talented heading into this season, which means Moore might need to be fighting for playing time. The Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy this offseason, and he looks to slide into the second wide receiver spot. Moore is now slated to start the season as the third wideout, but the team is also high on Cedric Tillman and David Bell. With both players getting more reps in OTA’s and learning the system, could they end up jumping Moore on the depth chart?
Admittedly, that might be a long shot, but it’s not out of the question. The Browns also could decide they aren’t done with adding wide receivers. Hunter Renfow is someone who is still available, and Anthony Alandt of Sporting News believes he would be a perfect fit in Cleveland.
“Renfrow made the Pro Bowl in 2021 but has been on a steep decline since, totaling just 585 yards and two touchdowns over the past two seasons. It’s not like the Raiders have had the best lineup of quarterbacks for him to catch passes from, but it’s understandable why he was left out of the initial free-agency splash.”
The Oakland Raiders didn’t have consistency at quarterback, but the Browns do with Deshaun Watson. Renfrow would also be the third or fourth receiver with the Browns, a spot he could thrive in.
Moore is a solid player for the Browns, but he isn’t a star, and he’s not even close enough to a big enough name to hold out for Cleveland. Moore is a better player than Renfrow, but is the drop-off really that big, especially as the third-best wide receiver on a team? With Cooper and Jeudy on the field, there will be plenty of opportunities for the third wide receiver. The Browns have hopes heading into the season, especially with the big acquisitions like Jeudy.
The Browns have had distractions with Watson, and with those behind the team now, the last thing they need is more distractions heading into 2024. The Jets patience grew thin with Moore when they traded him to the Browns. Could the same thing happen with Cleveland? All Moore wants is a new contract, but all it could get him is a trip out of Ohio. Moore needs to be careful what he wishes for, he might just end up getting traded to a worse situation, that will hurt his next contract even more. Moore thinks he’s doing what’s right for his long term future in the NFL, but it appears to be a big mistake, he has more to lose than gain at this point.
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