Jaguars WR corps would be in great shape if they traded for Elijah Moore

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed wide receivers Zay Jones and Christian Kirk in free agency but you can never have enough playmakers on offense. That’s why it would make sense for the Jags to inquire about Elijah Moore, who’s reportedly told the New York Jets he wants to be traded.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Moore is frustrated with his role and usage in the Big Apple, which has prompted him to ask for a trade. Rapoport goes on to say that the Jets have no intentions of dealing him. Nevertheless, Jacksonville should give them a call.

A second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Moore hauled in a solid 43 receptions for 528 yards with five touchdowns. However, he’s currently fifth on targets with 29 but as Justin Fried of The Jet Press noted, that’s only four fewer than second-place Corey Davis, so he’s not the afterthought he’s portraying himself to be.

Moreover, it’s highly unlikely that the Jets will trade Moore. As Rapoport mentioned, they don’t plan to trade him. Then again, plans can change and they can change their mind if another club makes an offer they can’t refuse. So what would such an offer be? The former Ole Miss Rebel is unlikely to fetch a second-round pick, let alone a first-rounder.

Similarly, teams might not be willing to part ways with a third-rounder, so New York might realistically be able to get a fifth-round pick, maybe a fourth in the best-case scenario, and if that’s the cost, the Jags should definitely give general Joe Douglas a phone call.

The Jaguars might have a hard time pulling off a trade for Elijah Moore

The Jags allocated plenty of resources to their wide receiver corps earlier this year when they signed Zay Jones and Christian Kirk. But Marvin Jones Jr. is set to become a free agent next year and Tim Jones is still developing, so it would make sense for Jacksonville to acquire a proven commodity such as Moore to replenish the group.

Keep in mind that Moore is already shown he can play. Moreover, he’s still playing on his rookie deal, so trading him for a fourth-round pick, even a third wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive. The problem with acquiring him is that he wouldn’t probably get much playing time in Jacksonville right off the bat, which is precisely the reason he wants out of New York.

What would the point be of trading for Moore if you don’t plan to give him ample playing time? Acquiring him will be a long-term investment, which might not be in the Jags’ best interest when you take into account that he would need to learn a new system and might not get many snaps right away.

It’s also worth noting that even though the Jaguars are 2-4 entering Week 7, they’re a competitive bunch that is just a few plays away from being 4-2 or even 5-1. Furthermore, there’s a good chance the Jets’ brass and Moore will find common ground. They’ll give him more targets and he will no longer ask for a trade.

If Moore is indeed available, the Jaguars should make a strong push to get him to strengthen their wide receiver corps but he probably isn’t. Still, it doesn’t hurt to think about Moore playing for the Black and Teal as hypothetical as it may be.