Both the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders are flying after starting their 2021 NFL campaigns 3-0. Now the Broncos are trying to get an edge over their most bitter rivals, nabbing a talented wideout from under the nose of Jon Gruden.
David Moore was signed off the Raiders’ practice squad by Broncos’ GM George Paton after sophomore receiver K.J. Hamler tore his ACL in Week 3. NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed Hamler will miss the entirety of the season, even if the Broncos make a deep playoff run.
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Moore Juice on Offense
Moore, a 6-foot, 215 pound fifth-year receiver, was drafted by Seattle in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old made plenty of plays in Seattle during his three-year stint in the Pacific North-West, despite starting just 14 of 47 games. Moore made splashes with Russell Wilson averaging 14.9 yards per reception. During the 2020 season, the East Central University man started six games, amassing six touchdowns — ranked equal-10th across the league. For context, Moore had more touchdowns than all Broncos excluding Tim Patrick, who also had six trips to the end zone.
Can someone explain why David Moore wasn’t on an active roster this season?
During the offseason, Moore signed a two-year, $4.75 million deal with Carolina, and while initially making the 53-man roster found himself released before being added to the Raiders’ practice squad in early September.
Across his career Moore has totaled 78 receptions for 1,163 yards with 13 touchdowns, including career highs of 35 catches last season. He also has rushed 12 times for 91 yards (7.6-yard average).
I like the David Moore signing
Moore’s collegiate career at East Central is one of the most prestigious in school history. He earned All-Great American Conference distinction in three different seasons and set career program records with 2,776 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns.
The former Seahawk is unlikely to find himself as one of the Broncos’ top three receivers initially. Diontae Spencer currently holds the third wideout position, though Moore is expected to be ahead of one-time quarterback Kendall Hinton as the team’s fourth receiver. Moore’s chances over overtaking Spencer will be heightened if he’s able to reproduce his form from Seattle.
Tim Patrick Ready to Fill WR Hole
Last season’s leading touchdown receiver Tim Patrick showed up and showed out in the Week 3 demolition of the New York Jets, amassing 98 yards from 5 catches. Without Hamler and fellow sophomore wideout Jerry Jeudy, Patrick will need to step up and be the Robin to Denver’s receiving Batman; Courtland Sutton. How dangerous could a duo of Patrick and Sutton truly be? Find out from Patrick himself.
“It’s difficult because even if we’re covered — we’re not covered,” Sutton told Denver media on December 27. “You could play the perfect defense and we’ll go out there and make an amazing catch, and the coach can’t tell you, ‘Oh you’ve got to do this better.’ You were in the perfect coverage, but we wanted the ball more and we got it so it’s deflating for defense when you make plays like that.”
Patrick was an undrafted free agent out of Utah who bounced around NFL practice squads in Baltimore and San Francisco before Denver found a place for him on theirs on January 1, 2018. The rest has been history but by no means has Patrick forgotten it.
“I’m never going to get viewed as that guy just because I wasn’t drafted so they think my ceiling isn’t high — but I’m a different type of undrafted guy so my ceiling is pretty high,” Patrick said.
“I knew what my ceiling was because of the past two teams I was with before. I was playing [well] but it was non-football things that got me out of there, so I knew what my ceiling was. In college, I think almost every defense I played all their DBs got drafted, and I’m all of their bad tape so I always had the confidence it was just — I just needed an opportunity.”
That is most certainly what he has now. Patrick finally has the stage to show his worth and you’d imagine there’s no team he’d rather disprove than Denver’s Week 4 opponents — his former employers — the Baltimore Ravens.
Follow Patrick Djordjevic on Twitter: @Patdjordjevic
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Broncos Poach Starting-Caliber WR From Raiders