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Denarius Moore

Denarius Moore To Visit Jets

March 18th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets apparently arn’t finished tweaking their wide receiver depth, even after adding Brandon Marshall and parting ways with Percy Harvin. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), free agent wideout Denarius Moore will meet with the organization on Thursday.

The former fifth-round pick had the weakest season of his career in 2014, finishing with career-lows in receptions (12), yards (115) and touchdowns (zero). To add insult to injury, Moore finished 187th among 218 receiver candidates in Pro Football Focus’ position rankings (subscription required). However, the 26-year-old is not far removed for a productive 2012 campaign, and his speed could help a receiving corps that is highlighted by Marshall and Eric Decker.

Rumors surrounding the 26-year-old have been quiet so far this offseason, and we heard earlier this week that there was “not a chance” Moore would return to the Raiders. Meanwhile, this isn’t the first we’ve heard of the Jets pursuing some reinforcement at wideout. The team reportedly had interest in Stevie Johnson and Cecil Shorts, who have since signed elsewhere.

FA Notes: Clay, Canty, Spencer, Irving, Moore

March 16th, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

There hasn’t been much movement on the Charles Clay front lately, but the Bills are still steadfast in their hopes of signing him to an unmatchable offer sheet, a source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Buffalo appears confident in landing the Dolphins transition player, as the source tells Carucci that it’s a 90% certainty that the Bills will acquire the tight end.

Rex Ryan is reportedly pushing for Clay, as the Bills head coach knows how difficult Clay is to defend from the former’s time with the Jets. Per Carucci, Buffalo is currently going over both their cap numbers and those of the Dolphins, in an attempt to structure a contract that Miami can’t match.

Let’s take a look at the what’s happening on the rest of the free agent market:

  • Defensive lineman Chris Canty will visit the Seahawks tomorrow, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). The 32-year-old was released by the Ravens last month, and while a reunion with Baltimore is possible, he’s also met with the Jets as he explores his options.
  • Canty isn’t the only defender who will take a meeting with Seattle, as LB/DE Anthony Spencer will also visit the Seahawks, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Seattle had success in bringing in veteran defensive lineman Kevin Williams last season, so perhaps they’re trying to find another diamond-in-the-rough between Canty and Spencer.
  • While his visit with the Colts today went well, linebacker Nate Irving is still weighing all his options, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The former Bronco has also been linked to the Dolphins and the Cardinals.
  • After asking a source whether receiver Denarius Moore could return to the Raiders, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter) got a clear response: “Not a chance.” The 26-year-old hasn’t drawn any known interest during the free agent period.
  • Although we heard on Thursday that the Bears were discussing a multi-year deal with linebacker Mason Foster, no such pact is imminent, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that nothing is close between the two sides.

Browns Likely To Trade For Receiver?

May 28th, 2014 at 9:28am CST by Luke Adams

The odds are “better than 50-50” that the Browns will make a trade for a receiver at some point before the season, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. With Josh Gordon facing a lengthy suspension, Nate Burleson currently sidelined with a broken arm, and Greg Little having recently been cut, the team could use a little more depth at the position, even after signing veterans Miles Austin and Earl Bennett.

As Grossi notes, since 2008, no position has seen more trade action than wide receiver, where 27 players have switched teams. Grossi identifies Andre Johnson and Denarius Moore as two wideouts currently believed to be available on the trade market, though I’d be surprised if Houston decides to move Johnson this offseason. Moore is perhaps a more realistic target, after the Raiders signed James Jones in free agency and claimed Little off waivers from the Browns.

While there’s no guarantee that the Browns add a receiver of note in time for the season, general manager Ray Farmer certainly seems to be leaving the door open for that possibility. Earlier in May, Farmer downplayed the team’s need to pick a receiver in the draft, pointing to trades as one alternative route. And as Grossi points out, just last week the GM reiterated his willingness to explore all possible avenues for receiving upgrades: “We’re going to unearth every guy that’s available.”

Additionally, having picked up an extra first-rounder for 2015 in a trade with the Bills, the Browns could be more inclined to part with a later-round draft pick if it means acquiring a reliable veteran.

Poll: Who Will Be Traded?

May 25th, 2014 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

As a result of free agency and the draft, there are players around the league that now find themselves in a bit of roster limbo. Plenty of veterans could be on a team’s trading block, so NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling took a look at the top-ten trade candidates in the league.

The Vikings added Matt Cassel and rookie Teddy Bridgewater and as a result, incumbent quarterback Christian Ponder tops Wesseling’s list. The writer states that Ponder has higher upside than a typical backup, and lists the Saints, Packers, Panthers and Falcons as potential trading partners. Fellow quarterback Ryan Mallett of the Patriots was second on the list, with Wesseling suggesting the Texans and Cowboys as landing spots.

Michael Roos‘ contract (and the addition of rookie Taylor Lewan) makes the Titans offensive tackle a definite trade option. Roos is number-four on Wesseling’s list, with the Panthers and Ravens listed as destinations. 49ers running back LaMichael James, Cardinals tight end Rob Housler and Raiders wideout Denarius Moore round out Wesseling’s offensive options.

On defense, Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers leads the way at number-four. The team is reportedly open to trading the Pro Bowler, and Wesseling suggests the Texans, Titans and Colts would be interested. Defensive end/linebackers Brandon Graham (Eagles) and Dion Jordan (Dolphins) come in at five and six, followed by Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan.

Wesseling mostly focused on players that were squeezed out of their team’s plans following the offseason. That means he omits Texans wideout Andre Johnson, who would clearly top the list if included. The Pro Bowler has been the subject of trade rumors for the past month.

Which player do you think is most likely to be traded? Is there somebody that you think should have been included? Let us know in the comments.

AFC Mailbags: Raiders, Bengals, Jags, Colts

May 3rd, 2014 at 12:04pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at some NFC mailbags earlier, so let’s take a look at some tidbits from ESPN’s AFC writers…

  • The Raiders like Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but selecting him fifth overall may be “too rich for the Raiders blood”, says Paul Gutierrez. If the team was to trade back a couple of slots, Gutierrez thinks Donald would be a likely pick.
  • If Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins and Khalil Mack are all off the board by the time the Raiders pick, Gutierrez believes the team should seriously consider trading down.
  • Gutierrez suggests trading Denarius Moore for a fifth-round pick if the Raiders select Watkins.
  • The Bengals are not likely to trade up, writes Coley Harvey. The team historically hasn’t been active in draft trades and Harvey says the team has little incentive to make a trade this year.
  • The Jaguars are “definitely” looking at the 2015 Draft for quarterbacks, but Michael DiRocco would be surprised if the team doesn’t select a passer this season.
  • Safety is a bigger priority for the Colts than an offensive lineman, writes Mike Wells.