Getty Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore catching a long ball in an important contest.
Another one bites the dust.
Rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore has come to terms on a four-year deal with the New York Jets ahead of training camp next week. The deal is a standard contract that is worth $8.94M and includes a $3.86M signing bonus.
The team announced the news via their social media portals late on Wednesday evening.
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Turning Hype Into Reality
Just the beginning.
General manager Joe Douglas isn’t playing around as we inch closer to camp. The Jets are doing everything in their power to avoid any potential holdout drama, by taking care of their business.
These recent late-night rookie signings have caused a collective sigh of relief among the Jets faithful. When everything is going right, something potentially going wrong is normally right around the corner.
Speaking of going right, Moore has been a lightning rod since being selected with the No. 34 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
While he hasn’t played a single down yet, Moore may be the most hyped rookie the team has ever had.
Several of his social media workouts and practice clips have gone viral over the last few months:
Zach Wilson (@zachkapono1) ➡️ Elijah Moore (@e_moore03). Throughout #Jets OTAs & minicamp Moore hasn’t been afraid to go airborne to make a catch. Rookies aren’t supposed to be this good this fast. This kid is going to be a STAR ⭐️ #NFL #TakeFlight
One of #Jets WR Elijah Moore’s (@e_moore03) best traits is his unique ability to start & stop like a Ferrari. He snags the pass from Zach Wilson (@zachkapono1) sprints upfield then SKURR hit the brakes & CJ Mosley (@TreyDeuce32RTR) is on skates. Is it training camp yet? 🎥@nyjets
.@nyjets WR Elijah Moore (@e_moore03) continues to put in work this offseason. Here are some highlights of him making agile cuts + showing off footwork/speed. Watch out @NFL he’s going to be a problem: #Jets #TakeFlight
How do I know I’m old? @nyjets reporter @livlandisjets showed #Jets rookie WR Elijah Moore (@e_moore03) an image of a VHS tape & asked him what it was and he had no idea… 😐🤣:
Sadly that also includes the clip where the former Ole Miss wide receiver was confounded by the historical artifact that we call a “VHS tape”, but I digress.
Moore was a guy that was widely expected to go in the first round, yet somehow slipped to the top of day two. The Jets pounced at the opportunity and it provided yet another weapon for fellow rookie Zach Wilson ahead of 2021.
Throughout the offseason thus far: rookie minicamp, offseason training activities, and mandatory minicamp the former Ole Miss star has dazzled in his limited opportunities in front of the media.
One-handed catches, diving acrobatic plays, and unusual stop-and-start ability to go from 0-to-60 like a 2021 souped-up Ferrari to name a few moments.
It has left many of us star-struck and this is an extremely unusual feeling for Jets fans, especially considering their recent troubling history taking wideouts in the second round:
- Devin Smith, Ohio State (No. 37 overall, 2015 NFL draft)
- Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech (No. 43 overall, 2012 NFL draft)
What Is His Role Going to Be This Season?
Initially, it seemed like the Jets’ plan was to bring him along slowly and let him adjust to the pro game. Then Moore got on the football field and the Jets couldn’t keep him off of it.
Although that is an eerily similar feeling to what happened to the Seattle Seahawks, in a different way, back in 2012.
During free agency, they doled out over $20M to veteran quarterback Matt Flynn to be their starting quarterback. A month later they took a flier in the third round (No. 75 overall) out of Wisconsin, some kid named Russell Wilson.
The plan initially for the Seahawks was to ride the Flynn train, then something happened that offseason. Wilson balled out and surprisingly won the starting job and never looked back. It wasn’t supposed to work out that way, but in life, things happen.
The Jets have, perhaps for the first time in 20 years, more than enough weapons at wideout. They didn’t need Moore to be a superstar contributor immediately when they had guys on the roster like Jamison Crowder, Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Keelan Cole, and Braxton Berrios.
Yet so far, Moore is forcing the Jets front office to adapt and call an audible at the line of scrimmage on their original plans.
Based on what we’ve seen so far and there’s still a long way to go before Week 1 vs the Carolina Panthers with training camp and the preseason, it’s going to be very difficult to keep him off the field.
Moore can just contribute in so many ways. The only limit to his game is your offensive coordinator’s imagination, he is a moving chess piece that can attack you at all three levels of the field.
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