The NFL offseason has finally turned the corner with the NFL draft finally on the back burner. Teams have turned back to free agency to fill in the remaining holes on their roster.
The Buffalo Bills went back into the wide receiver well and signed WR Elijah Moore. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Moore and the Bills agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.
While most fans don't care to see Moore head elsewhere, they will be receiving something in return. Cleveland placed an unrestricted free agent tender on Moore last Tuesday, which meant he will count against the compensatory pick formula for the 2026 NFL draft.
If Moore didn't sign with anyone before July 22, the Browns would have held his exclusive negotiating rights. But since he landed elsewhere, Cleveland will get a late-round compensatory selection. That pick will likely land in the sixth or seventh round, which is a win regardless. Instead of getting nothing back for him, they will get a late Day 3 pick.
Moore came over to Cleveland in 2023 when the Browns gave up a second-round pick in exchange for the wide out and a third-round pick. With that chapter closed, in hindsight, it was a bad deal for the Browns.
They were banking on Moore taking a step forward and becoming a focal point of the passing attack, but that never happened. In two seasons with the Browns, the Ole Miss product had 120 catches for 1,178 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He never finished with more than 640 receiving yards in either season, registering one game with 100-plus receiving yards.
Moore wasn't worth the second-rounder Cleveland gave up, but finding a way to get a draft pick in return for him has to be considered a win for the Browns.