Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson warming up ahead of an NFL game.
The New York Jets’ world got rocked on Thursday, October 20 when wide receiver Elijah Moore surprisingly requested a trade.
While it has been widely reported that Gang Green has absolutely no intention of trading away their young star talent, anything can happen in the NFL.
Jets-Texans Trade Delivers Laremy Tunsil for Elijah Moore
In the wise words of Wrestling Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase, “everybody’s got a price.”
The Jets don’t want to trade Moore, but general manager Joe Douglas has mentioned before he will always answer the phone.
One deal that might be too enticing to pass up could come from the Houston Texans.
During a recent podcast interview, Jets insider Will Parkinson floated a blockbuster deal that could feature the Texans sending offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to New York in exchange for Moore.
Tunsil is 28 years old and is considered one of the best offensive linemen in football. He has another year left on his contract that takes him through the 2023 season.
Back in 2020, the former Ole Miss product signed a three-year deal for $66 million.
The Jets have plenty of offensive tackle depth currently but the future beyond this campaign is super murky.
Duane Brown is 37 years old but will be 38 heading into next season. George Fant will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Mekhi Becton is coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries.
With all of those questions, it would make sense to plug in a long-term answer on the blindside to protect Zach Wilson for the present and foreseeable future.
To Trade Elijah Moore or to Not Trade Him Is the Question for the Jets
This would be an enticing trade in the fact that you could flip a young wide receiver for a proven stud on the offensive line.
However, it would be a tough pill to swallow for the Jets to actually pull the trigger on any trade.
Moore is exactly the kind of player you hope to draft.
He was the No. 34 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Moore is still only 22 years of age.
In 17 career games, the former Ole Miss product has produced:
- 59 receptions
- 741 receiving yards
- Five touchdowns
Those are the kinds of players you build around, not ship off to watch have success with another NFL organization.
The only way the Jets end up trading him is if he goes scorched Earth and disrupts the flow of the locker room.
Outside of that the green and white have full leverage in this situation. Moore still has an additional two years left on his rookie contract plus the rest of this season.
With him requesting a trade the Jets can simply tell him to go kick rocks. If he doesn’t want to play for the team he can be fined and ride the bench.
With how the new CBA is structured, players have no power anymore to hold out, outside of rare exceptions. It’ll be interesting to see how the team and coaching staff in particular handles this situation.