ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement to sign wide receiver Elijah Moore to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, as the team has yet to officially announce the move.
Moore, 25, brings four years of NFL experience, having spent the past two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. During his time there, he tallied 120 receptions for 1,178 yards and three touchdowns over 34 games. Previously, he played two seasons with the New York Jets after being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. With the Jets, he recorded 80 catches for 984 yards and six scores across 27 games before being traded to Cleveland in March 2023.
Standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 180 pounds, Moore arrives in Buffalo amid scrutiny of general manager Brandon Beane, who faced criticism for not prioritizing the receiver position until the Bills picked Kaden Prather in the seventh round of the draft. Moore had already been scheduled for a workout with Buffalo on Monday, the same day Beane addressed the criticism in a local radio interview.
Beane defended his strategy by citing a focus on team needs and adherence to the draft board, which resulted in six of Buffalo’s nine picks being used on defense. He also emphasized the stability of an offense that ranked second in the league in scoring last season under quarterback Josh Allen, despite the departure of Stefon Diggs to Houston.
Moore joins a retooled receiver group that includes returning players Khalil Shakir, rookie Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel, along with free-agent additions Joshua Palmer and Laviska Shenault. They fill the void left by Mack Hollins and Amari Cooper’s departures.
Cleveland had placed an unrestricted free agent tender on Moore earlier this week. Though he was free to sign with another team, his exit now factors into the NFL’s compensatory pick formula for next year’s draft.
