Buffalo Bills wide receiver Elijah Moore put pen to paper, signing his one-year contract with the team on May 5. It’s a signing that represents true opportunity for both sides. For Moore it’s a real chance to show that his talent has been miscast in previous stops. Regarding Buffalo, it’s an opportunity to build something promising at wide receiver for the future.

Following his official commitment, Moore met with members of the media over Zoom to discuss joining the Bills. Moore revealed that the process leading up to his decision to sign with the Bills was “a little bit stressful,” but not because he doubted the opportunity he’d have playing with quarterback Josh Allen. Quite simply, Moore was just “hoping that the right situation opened up that made sense” — which he gratefully found when the call arrived from One Bills Drive.

“When the opportunity with the Bills opened up, it just kind of just sparked some, you know, a lot of… a lot of smiles, a lot of engagement. Just to hear, you know, like how I would be viewed and fit in.”

After beginning his career with the New York Jets as the 34th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, only to then be traded to the Cleveland Browns after two seasons, Moore understands “the stigma that kind of goes around” as a player now with his third team in five seasons. That said, he’s confident in his abilities and what he can provide Buffalo this season.

Moore explained that the Bills offered him the opportunity to earn his snaps, rather than being promised something borne out of circumstance due to draft status, contract numbers, or even prior production. That stuck with Moore, who respectfully stated that:

“My whole career, I haven’t really had, you know, too many great opportunities with a stable quarterback the entire season. You know, I’ve been playing with so many guys — what it feels like is five quarterbacks every single season. So I just feel like having, you know, being blessed with opportunity to, God willing, have ‘17’ for the entire season, the MVP at that. A top-tier-caliber player, top-tier-caliber team, top-tier-caliber coaches putting you in position, I just feel like it would just be the best position that I’ve been put in yet. So, it’s just so much to look forward to from that. Why not run towards it?”

Moore continually mentioned a strong dedication to his craft, and looks forward to the positive impact he can bring to both the locker room and the football field. I realizing he has plenty to learn still Moore said that “if I’m not good at it right now, I’m going to work my ass off until I become great at it.”

While some are quick to say that Moore hasn’t quite lived up to his draft status as the second pick of Round 2, he has managed to put together a fairly competitive resume as a second or third option in the passing game since entering the league. With the Browns, Moore saw at least 102 targets in both seasons. That came despite his having played with seven different quarterbacks in 34 games for Cleveland.

Moore welcomes any role he’s asked to play week in and out within an offense that prioritizes spreading the ball around. “I feel like that’s a good thing. I’m never running from competition. At the end of the day, it’s about winning with everybody,” and Moore understands that with Josh Allen at the helm, he’s joining a team that continually finds itself just one or two games away from playing in the Super Bowl. “I just want to be a part of something special. I want to add to it. I want to bring more light to it,” Moore said when asked why he chose Buffalo.

Check out all Elijah Moore had to say in his meeting with the media, including some in-depth conversations about his time playing along future NFL stars at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and for the Ole’ Miss at the University of Mississippi.

Interestingly, Moore represents the second Browns wide receiver to join One Bills Drive in the last seven months. Where wide receiver Amari Cooper represented an immediate in-season need as a heady, no-nonsense veteran at last season’s trade deadline, Moore allows the Bills another chance to make things work with a much younger player.

Of course, Cooper wasn’t afforded an entire offseason with Josh Allen, while Moore should get that benefit and more. With the Bills having just begun Phase 2 of their offseason program, Moore was in-house — only as an observer on Monday — while also joining “One Bills Live” co-hosts Chris Brown and Steve Tasker at the team’s field house.

With a true twinkle in his eye and that million-dollar smile, Moore mentioned that he’ll get to work on the field beginning with Tuesday’s session. Hitting the field will have a bit of a reunion feel for Moore, as he played high school football alongside wide receiver Joshua Palmer, and later was a teammate of Dawson Knox’s with Ole Miss.

Brown was quick mention the “quarterback carousels” Moore has experienced in four NFL seasons, and wondered what he thought of that situation being firmly in the rearview mirror with Josh Allen under center. “You see this smile?” — Moore stated, genuinely happy and excited to have QB17 as his QB1:

“I was talking to my wife about it, you know, it’s just finally I feel like I’m blessed with the opportunity that I get to go show it and not even just because of myself. Obviously, I play receiver. I can’t throw it to myself. to have a guy like that. I’ve been playing against him for a couple years now. You see what I’m saying? And when you’re on the other side of it, you really get to break down the film and see what guys are really doing — and he’s phenomenal. So, it’s definitely super intriguing. I feel definitely grateful to be in this opportunity.”

Though he’s new in town, Moore understands what offensive coordinator Joe Brady prefers for his guys — that everybody eats. “One-hundred percent. I definitely heard that. This is, like, the mantra here, and I definitely respect it.” Moore also understands why it works, fully aware of the offense averaging 35 points a game during the 2024 NFL season.

Brown was curious to know how the idea of positionless football and being required to understand all the roles on offense impacted Moore’s mindset and study habits. Moore said that learning an offensive system conceptually allows one to “see why the play is developing the way that it is,” as opposed to only understanding one single facet of a given play.

Admitting that he has a lot of stuff left to wrap up, pack up, and ship out two hours west in Cleveland while also finding a new home base in Western New York for his family, Moore emphatically stated that he’s here and he’s ready to work. Be sure to check out the rest of Moore’s interview with Brownie and Tasker during Monday’s edition of “One Bills Live,” embedded in full below.