The biggest weakness for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024 — a year when weaknesses have been few and far between — has consistently been the lack of a third option at wide receiver.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks the answer might be on the horizon in the form of the Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman going after Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore in free agency.
“Philadelphia’s search for a third receiver behind DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown continues,” Holder wrote. “… Roseman should keep throwing darts at wide receiver until he hits, and Cleveland’s Elijah Moore would be worth a look in free agency. The 24-year-old had a career year in 2023 with 59 catches for 640 yards. He’s flashed again this season, though not until quarterback Deshaun Watson exited the lineup.”
The Eagles won their seventh consecutive game in Week 12 on the strength of running back Saquon Barkley’s historic game in a win over the Los Angeles Rams and with Smith sitting out with an injury. If the Eagles can’t get the consistent production out of Barkley they’ve gotten all year or, God forbid, he goes down with an injury, the lack of a third wide receiver will be much more pronounced.
Moore Forced Trade After 2 Seasons With Jets
Moore’s talent was on full display at Ole Miss, where he left school with one season of eligibility remaining after a breakout season in 2020, with 86 receptions for 1,193 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in just 8 games. Moore was named All-SEC, All-American and a Biletnikoff Award finalist.
The New York Jets selected Moore in the second round (No. 34 overall) in the 2021 NFL draft despite checking in at the NFL combine at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds — he still ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash. After 80 receptions for 984 yards and 6 touchdowns in his first 2 seasons, Moore talked his way out of town and forced a trade to the Browns in March 2023.
Moore played all 17 games for the first time in 2023 with Cleveland and had career highs in starts (12), receptions (59) and receiving yards (640) but also lost 2 fumbles.
Through 11 games in 2024, Moore is having another pretty average season with 42 receptions for 336 yards and 1 touchdown, but has seen an uptick in production since Jameis Winston replaced Watson at quarterback, including a season high 8 receptions for 85 yards in a 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.
Moore is currently in the final season of the 4-year, $8.9 million rookie contract he signed with the Jets.
Eagles Tried to Shoehorn Dotson Into WR3 Spot
The Eagles problems at WR3 became much more pronounced when they tried to fill the spot with former first round pick Jahan Dotson in a trade with the Washington Commanders, sending a 2025 third round pick and a pair of 2025 seventh round picks to their NFC East rival in exchange for Dotson and a 2025 fifth round pick.
Dotson has come up woefully short for the Eagles — behind even the middling pace of approximately 500 receiving yards per season that he averaged in 2022 and 2023 after the Commanders took him with the No. 16 overall pick out of Penn State in the 2022 NFL draft.
Through 10 games in 2024 and despite Philadelphia’s 9-2 record, Dotson has just 10 receptions for 118 yards and no touchdowns.
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Eagles Projected to Fill Out Wide Receiver Depth With AFC North Standout