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There are reports the Oakland Raiders are interested in dealing WR Denarius Moore for a draft pick. I've heard they're looking for a fourth round pick as compensation for the wide receiver. Despite signing Eric Decker and Jacoby Ford, the New York Jets still have a need at wide receiver. Should the Jets look to trade for Moore? First, let's take a look at why Moore is on the trading block.
Moore burst onto the scene his rookie year as a fifth round pick under receivers coach Sanjay Lal, who now works for the Jets. Moore has a knack for making big plays, but can also be frustratingly inconsistent. He isn't helped by injuries, which have prevented him from completing a full season in his three years in the league. However, when he's healthy, Moore can be an excellent deep threat.
That said, the Raiders seem ready to move on with James Jones, Rod Streater, and Andre Holmes. Most likely, they would like to get another receiver in the draft this year, but they only have six picks and a lot of holes. John Idzik has shown a tendency towards being interested in injured players with upside, the ones that have flashes of greatness but have been beset by injury. Examples include Chris Ivory, Willie Colon, Dimitri Patterson, Jacoby Ford, etc. The Jets have had a good history with getting the most out of injured players, and Moore flourished under Lal.
A trade makes sense on some levels, but the roster is starting to fill up at receiver, including Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley, Stephen Hill, Jacoby Ford, and David Nelson (Greg Salas, Michael Campbell, Clyde Gates, Saalim Hakim, and Dwight Jones are also on the roster, but they're camp bodies). If the team plans on drafting a receiver high, or multiple receivers in a loaded draft class, as many of us hope for, there are only so many receivers that can make the roster.
I think a good solution is to see how the first two days of the draft play out. If the team is able to get the receivers it wants early on, there's no sense in trading for a player that will most likely just be good depth competition. If the team can't get the players it wants, they can offer a later pick for Moore, no higher than a fifth in my opinion, before the third day of the draft.
What do you think? Would you trade for Moore, and if so, how much?