Last year, new wide receiver Elijah Moore was frustrated with his role in the New York Jets offense. Since being traded to the Cleveland Browns before the draft the wide receiver seems eager to show he can be a difference-maker in the NFL. He brings a skill set the team sorely lacked in 2022 and with a full year of Deshaun Watson, Moore will have to chance to prove it.
On the second day of OTAs on Wednesday, Moore got a chance to speak to the media to talk about the beginning of his career in Cleveland. Let’s take a look at some of the key takeaways from that media availability.
Team cohesion early is a big focus for the team
“Feels good. I feel good. I’m glad to be with the team. I feel like practice has been going smooth, so I can’t ask for them anything better.
A little bit of both. It was a smooth week of just connecting and gelling with the teammates, the camaraderie. I got to learn a lot of them boys from a different perspective. I feel like it’s only going to help out here. So we all stayed until like Friday and then we came back and got straight to work.”
The Browns have added three new wide receivers and a tight end to the passing offense so getting on the same page will be important. With a tough schedule to start they can’t afford to start slow. So team bonding and finding time to connect and get on the same page could be critical for the 2023 season.
Moore things team does a good job communicating
“Probably just learning everybody and then the quarterback. Different quarterback, different arm, seeing what he sees and just the communication around the team. Everyone communicates differently, but I feel like it’s going to go well. So I can’t complain.”
We saw issues with communicating on the defense and in other ways in past years with the Browns. The team will need to get on the same page quickly this year for it to be a successful season. Moore seems up to the challenge and does whatever needs to be done to succeed.
Moore is happy to pair with Watson who we respects
“He loves football. That was the first thing off the rip, I was probably most excited to see up and close, because I heard all the stories growing up. Watching him in college, seeing all those national games and watching him work and stuff like that. So seeing how much he loves football. We were in the hotel, and he’s in the playbook when we’re chilling on the beach. We just got done working out. We all got work done, and he’s still in the playbook, so seeing how he is with that only gives us more confidence. Like, ‘Okay, let us go look at the playbook one more time. I can’t ask for nothing better.”
This season for the Browns will hinge on Deshaun Watson being productive and back to his elite play. When you bring in new players that rave about the player Watson it makes you excited to see it play out. Seeing players that will put in however much work is needed is key to a solid season.
Moore is happy for the fresh start and feeling wanted
“Yeah, man, to hear that positivity as far as speaking on my name, I can’t do anything but feel blessed to be in the opportunity that I’m in right this moment. It feels good to be wanted, and it’s going to make any player, any human, go harder. When you feel like that and you feel like you’re around people who want you to be here, so I’m going to give it all I got every single day.”
There was a trade request from Moore last year because of the way he was used. If Moore can play up to the level of his talent he truly can be the missing piece that the Browns lacked in the passing game in 2022.
Moore things the passing attack can attack in different ways
“I feel like all the receivers–I start with my receiver group first. I feel like they’re all different and I feel like that’s a good thing. When you have all the same type of guys, it’s like you’re kind of seeing the similar things and knowing that we’re all different body types. Different people are good at different things, so we’re all get to take it and watch what we see and put it in our bag. So I feel like that component alone is kind of all we need.”
Moore said it perfectly as the Browns created a well-rounded receiver and tight end room that can attack in so many different ways. Outside of Amari Cooper who is one of the best route runners in the league to go with much-needed speed from Moore and Goodwin and top it off with the physicality of players like Donovan Peoples-Jones and Cedric Tillman.
