Moore trade request gives Bears perfect chance to improve WR room originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Elijah Moore wants out of New York. While the Jets reportedly won't honor the second-year wide receiver's trade request, the Bears should be the first team on the phone trying to pry the young receiver away from New York.
Moore, 22, reportedly is unhappy with his role in the Jets' offense this season. He took a "personal day" Thursday before news of his trade request leaked via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. The Jets have no reason to engage in trade talks for Moore. They haven't for Denzel Mims, who requested a trade from New York in August. Mims has not been active for a regular-season game.
But the Bears desperately need talent at the wide receiver position. Anyone who the defense has to respect and who can alleviate some pressure off Darnell Mooney would be a welcome sight.
At 5-foot-9, 184 pounds, Moore was an electric slot receiver at Ole Miss. During his final season in Oxford, he averaged 10.8 receptions and 149.1 receiving yards per game. Moore set a school record with 86 receptions for 1,193 yards and eight scores.
Moore reportedly has been frustrated with his lack of targets during the Jets' three-game winning streak. The Ole Miss product has been targeted just eight times in the last three games after seeing 21 targets during the first three. During the Jets' Week 6 win over the Green Bay Packers, Moore saw just one target, but that play was negated by a penalty.
Local
RELATED: Zappe fever latest evidence of tough Year 2 for Fields, Mac, and 2021 QB class
The bigger issue might be how the Jets have opted to use Moore. Moore has played 75 percent of his snaps out wide this season after operating almost exclusively out of the slot in college.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
The Bears are in desperate need of a legitimate slot receiver.
At the moment, the Bears are asking Mooney to do everything, leading to numerous route errors and imprecisions early in the season.
Wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said the Bears ask Mooney to be able to flow seamlessly between the X, Z, and F positions on a play-by-play basis. The Bears need someone to free Mooney up and consistently threaten defenses. They have zero reliable options to do that in the current wide receiver corps.
Adding a guy like Moore would give the Bears a true slot option and force defenses to worry about more than just Mooney. Moore has strong hands and can threaten defenses at all three levels.
If the Jets are willing to talk (by all accounts, they aren't), a high Day 2 pick would be worth it to secure Moore and add a young, dynamic slot receiver to the ground floor of the Bears' rebuild.
If Moore does hit the market, Bears general manager Ryan Poles should be all over it.
Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.
