Getty New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore.
Many analysts around the NFL are considering the Kansas City Chiefs as one of the top buyers at this year’s trade deadline.
After all, they are an obvious contender who just freed up some cap space to play around with. One area of need might be at wide receiver. Outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster’s 61.7 YPG mark, no Chiefs wide receiver is currently averaging over 50 yards per game.
Kansas City does still have Travis Kelce performing at a very high level, but it feels like Patrick Mahomes might need one more reliable weapon to get this offense back where it needs to be on a weekly basis. A recent New York Jets development could provide an affordable solution.
Elijah Moore Requests Trade, Chiefs Linked as Suitor
Seemingly out of nowhere, Jets second-year wide receiver Elijah Moore has reportedly requested a trade amid a three-game winning streak for New York. To be clear, NFL insider Ian Rapoport also noted that “the team has no plans at all to trade him” at this time, but we know how quickly these things can change.
CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin was all over it, naming “logical suitors” for Moore in an article on October 20. The Chiefs were one of them.
He reasoned: “Patrick Mahomes will be just fine relying on Travis Kelce as his primary target, but they could still use someone to push JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling into more secondary roles. Moore’s got the athleticism to give Andy Reid another chess piece for his creative red zone offense, too.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings were also listed as potential trade destinations.
Weighing a Chiefs Trade for Elijah Moore
Obviously, you have to consider the off-the-field drama during a winning streak before making a move like this but the other aspects of the deal would be favorable if the Chiefs coaching staff can get the No. 34 overall selection in 2021 straightened out.
First off, Moore is not underperforming. In fact, he outperformed 2021 first-rounders like Kadarius Toney last year before the drop-off in usage during the 2022 campaign. The 22-year-old talent had 192 yards over the first four weeks of the season before being held to one catch for 11 yards these past two games. He was targeted four times in those two outings combined.
Most of this was the product of a run-first approach by the Jets, with rookie running back Breece Hall tearing up the opposition. As proof, Moore has been either a number one or two wideout most weeks in terms of snap count.
Second, he’s on a rookie contract and his price tag is very manageable. Over the Cap details a $2.03 million cap hit in 2022 and an incremental increase over the next two years (each cap hit is under $3 million through 2024).
Finally, you’d have to assume that Elijah Moore would not cost a first-round pick if he ever became available, like D.J. Moore or a top WR target at the deadline — side note; so many Moores with Skyy Moore already on the roster.
We already know how much general manager Brett Veach loves to bet on prospects that were rated high in the draft — no matter their NFL showing — and Moore has not been a bust by any means. He had six touchdowns and 526 all-purpose yards during a seven-game span last year.
In terms of the current availability of Moore, head coach Robert Saleh initially told reporters that he spoke with him and he’s “fine,” adding that “he is a competitive young man” that “wants to contribute.” That was before the trade request.
This morning on October 21, Saleh reinforced that “trading him [is] not an option right now,” but did note that Moore will not play in Week 7 due to his current mental headspace. This is certainly a situation for Kansas City to monitor.