Arizona signed quietly signed Chris Moore to a free agent deal, and that caught my eye. While he’s never going to be a needle mover, he kept coming up with big plays last year.
For those who are perhaps a little rusty in the offseason, Moore played for Tennessee last year. He caught only 22 passes, but they averaged 19.3 yards. Despite that team having a lesser offense and him seeing few opportunities, he had 3 catches over 40 yards, and another 3 in the 29-33 yard range. Impressive, considering he had only 35 passes thrown his way.
Moore is 30. He was originally a fourth-round pick in 2016. He has played previously with Baltimore and Houston.
If we’re working off the “yards per pass play” metric, Moore last year was the 2nd-most effective receiver in the entire league, short of only Brandon Aiyuk. That’s among players with at least 30 targets.
Checking over the data of the last 30 years, there aren’t a lot of these guys – wide receivers with at least 30 targets averaging over 12 yards per play.
WIDE RECEIVERS AVERAGING 12-PLUS YARDS PER TARGET | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | YPT |
2022 | Rashid Shaheed, N.O. | 34 | 28 | 488 | 17.4 | 2 | 14.4 |
2008 | Devery Henderson, N.O. | 56 | 32 | 793 | 24.8 | 3 | 14.2 |
2006 | Devery Henderson, N.O. | 54 | 32 | 745 | 23.3 | 5 | 13.8 |
2018 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 70 | 57 | 965 | 16.9 | 10 | 13.8 |
2023 | Khalil Shakir, Buff. | 45 | 39 | 611 | 15.7 | 2 | 13.6 |
1999 | Tim Dwight, Atl. | 50 | 32 | 669 | 20.9 | 7 | 13.4 |
2021 | DeSean Jackson, 2TM | 34 | 20 | 454 | 22.7 | 2 | 13.4 |
2011 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 96 | 68 | 1,263 | 18.6 | 15 | 13.2 |
2019 | Mecole Hardman, K.C. | 41 | 26 | 538 | 20.7 | 6 | 13.1 |
2021 | Henry Ruggs, L.V. | 36 | 24 | 469 | 19.5 | 2 | 13.0 |
2010 | Mike Wallace, Pitt. | 98 | 60 | 1,257 | 21.0 | 10 | 12.8 |
2013 | Kenny Stills, N.O. | 50 | 32 | 641 | 20.0 | 5 | 12.8 |
2023 | Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 105 | 75 | 1,342 | 17.9 | 7 | 12.8 |
1993 | John Taylor, S.F. | 74 | 56 | 940 | 16.8 | 5 | 12.7 |
2008 | Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 37 | 27 | 465 | 17.2 | 4 | 12.6 |
2019 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 84 | 52 | 1,051 | 20.2 | 8 | 12.5 |
2014 | DeSean Jackson, Was. | 95 | 56 | 1,169 | 20.9 | 6 | 12.3 |
2018 | Robert Foster, Buff. | 44 | 27 | 541 | 20.0 | 3 | 12.3 |
2010 | Patrick Crayton, S.D. | 42 | 28 | 514 | 18.4 | 1 | 12.2 |
2011 | Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 70 | 43 | 856 | 19.9 | 5 | 12.2 |
1992 | John Taylor, S.F. | 35 | 25 | 428 | 17.1 | 3 | 12.2 |
2023 | Chris Moore, Ten. | 35 | 22 | 424 | 19.3 | 0 | 12.1 |
2011 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 31 | 25 | 375 | 15.0 | 1 | 12.1 |
1999 | Az-Zahir Hakim, St.L. | 56 | 36 | 677 | 18.8 | 8 | 12.1 |
2019 | Stefon Diggs, Min. | 94 | 63 | 1,130 | 17.9 | 6 | 12.0 |
2002 | Dennis Northcutt, Cle. | 50 | 38 | 601 | 15.8 | 5 | 12.0 |
2001 | Brian Finneran, Atl. | 41 | 23 | 491 | 21.3 | 3 | 12.0 |
Of course, for our purposes, there’s no point in comparing Moore to guys like Aiyuk and Randy Moss. We’re trying to instead look at comps – less-heralded guys who are trying to move up into relevancy.
So instead consider the following chart. It shows modest (determined subjectively) receivers with at least 20 targets who averaged more than 11.5 yards per play. These guys are more in line with Moore.
MOORE-TYPE YARDS-PER-TARGET GUYS (last 30 yrs) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yards | Avg | TD | YPT |
1996 | Willie Jackson, Jac. | 42 | 33 | 486 | 14.7 | 3 | 11.6 |
1998 | Ernie Mills, Dall. | 41 | 28 | 479 | 17.1 | 4 | 11.7 |
1999 | Tim Dwight, Atl. | 50 | 32 | 669 | 20.9 | 7 | 13.4 |
1999 | Az-Zahir Hakim, St.L. | 56 | 36 | 677 | 18.8 | 8 | 12.1 |
2001 | Brian Finneran, Atl. | 41 | 23 | 491 | 21.4 | 3 | 12.0 |
2002 | Dennis Northcutt, Cle. | 50 | 38 | 601 | 15.8 | 5 | 12.0 |
2002 | Quentin McCord, Atl. | 20 | 11 | 253 | 23.0 | 1 | 12.7 |
2004 | Andre Davis, Cle. | 35 | 16 | 416 | 26.0 | 2 | 11.9 |
2006 | Mark Bradley, Chi. | 23 | 14 | 282 | 20.1 | 3 | 12.3 |
2008 | Devery Henderson, N.O. | 56 | 32 | 793 | 24.8 | 3 | 14.2 |
2008 | Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 37 | 27 | 465 | 17.2 | 4 | 12.6 |
2008 | Miles Austin, Dall. | 23 | 13 | 278 | 21.4 | 3 | 12.1 |
2010 | Patrick Crayton, S.D. | 42 | 28 | 514 | 18.4 | 1 | 12.2 |
2011 | Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 70 | 43 | 856 | 19.9 | 5 | 12.2 |
2011 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 31 | 25 | 375 | 15.0 | 1 | 12.1 |
2012 | Joe Morgan, N.O. | 21 | 10 | 379 | 37.9 | 3 | 18.0 |
2013 | Kenny Stills, N.O. | 50 | 32 | 641 | 20.0 | 5 | 12.8 |
2016 | Chris Hogan, N.E. | 58 | 38 | 680 | 17.9 | 4 | 11.7 |
2016 | Taylor Gabriel, Atl. | 50 | 35 | 579 | 16.5 | 6 | 11.6 |
2017 | Brice Butler, Dall. | 23 | 15 | 317 | 21.1 | 3 | 13.8 |
2018 | Robert Foster, Buff. | 44 | 27 | 541 | 20.0 | 3 | 12.3 |
2018 | Breshad Perriman, Cle. | 25 | 16 | 340 | 21.3 | 2 | 13.6 |
2019 | Mecole Hardman, K.C. | 41 | 26 | 538 | 20.7 | 6 | 13.1 |
2020 | Tyron Johnson, LAC | 26 | 20 | 398 | 19.9 | 3 | 15.3 |
2020 | Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cle. | 20 | 14 | 304 | 21.7 | 2 | 15.2 |
2022 | Rashid Shaheed, N.O. | 34 | 28 | 488 | 17.4 | 2 | 14.4 |
2023 | Khalil Shakir, Buff. | 45 | 39 | 611 | 15.7 | 2 | 13.6 |
2023 | Chris Moore, Ten. | 35 | 22 | 424 | 19.3 | 0 | 12.1 |
Some of these guys I remember writing up in previous offseasons – Rashid Shaheed last year, and Joe Morgan, Taylor Gabriel, Robert Foster and Tryon Johnson previous. There are far more misses than hits.
But there have been some that have connected. Randall Cobb (after being lightly used as a rookie) and Miles Austin (an unknown with Dallas) exploded with huge season. Five other receivers put up top-40 numbers (using PPR scoring). I’ve got those guys tagged with double-dots, and the five who put up top-60 numbers tagged with single dots.
I’m a naturally pessimistic guy. I don’t see any real chance of Moore putting up top-60 numbers. But he does make sense for the Cardinals as a rotational reserve who can chip in a few notable catches.
MOORE-TYPE RECEIVING PROSPECTS (how they fared) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yds | Avg | TD | PPR | Rk |
1997 | Willie Jackson, Jac. | 35 | 17 | 206 | 12.1 | 2 | 53.0 | 86 |
1999 | Ernie Mills, Dall. | 51 | 30 | 325 | 10.8 | 0 | 62.4 | 83 |
2000 | •• Az-Zahir Hakim, St.L. | 81 | 53 | 734 | 13.9 | 4 | 158.3 | 37 |
2000 | Tim Dwight, Atl. | 53 | 26 | 406 | 15.6 | 3 | 91.4 | 67 |
2002 | •• Brian Finneran, Atl. | 102 | 56 | 838 | 15.0 | 6 | 175.8 | 33 |
2003 | •• Dennis Northcutt, Cle. | 93 | 62 | 729 | 11.8 | 2 | 155.2 | 38 |
2003 | Quentin McCord, Atl. | 23 | 9 | 121 | 13.4 | 0 | 21.3 | 123 |
2005 | Andre Davis, N.E. | 24 | 9 | 190 | 21.1 | 1 | 34.0 | 118 |
2007 | Mark Bradley, Chi. | 17 | 6 | 71 | 11.8 | 1 | 19.1 | 135 |
2009 | Miles Austin, Dall. | 124 | 81 | 1320 | 16.3 | 11 | 278.8 | 6 |
2009 | • Devery Henderson, N.O. | 83 | 51 | 804 | 15.8 | 2 | 144.7 | 43 |
2009 | • Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 76 | 45 | 776 | 17.2 | 1 | 128.6 | 56 |
2011 | Patrick Crayton, S.D. | 34 | 23 | 248 | 10.8 | 1 | 53.8 | 106 |
2012 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 104 | 80 | 954 | 11.9 | 8 | 242.6 | 16 |
2012 | •• Malcom Floyd, S.D. | 85 | 56 | 814 | 14.5 | 5 | 167.4 | 38 |
2014 | •• Kenny Stills, N.O. | 83 | 63 | 931 | 14.8 | 3 | 173.9 | 39 |
2014 | Joe Morgan, N.O. | 10 | 4 | 92 | 23.0 | 0 | 19.9 | 139 |
2017 | Chris Hogan, N.E. | 59 | 34 | 439 | 12.9 | 5 | 109.6 | 63 |
2017 | Taylor Gabriel, Atl. | 51 | 33 | 378 | 11.5 | 1 | 81.7 | 79 |
2018 | Brice Butler, 2TM | 10 | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 1 | 18.0 | 159 |
2019 | • Breshad Perriman, T.B. | 69 | 36 | 645 | 17.9 | 6 | 138.1 | 51 |
2019 | Robert Foster, Buff. | 18 | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 0 | 12.3 | 161 |
2020 | • Mecole Hardman, K.C. | 62 | 41 | 560 | 13.7 | 4 | 132.1 | 60 |
2021 | Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cle. | 58 | 34 | 597 | 17.6 | 3 | 111.7 | 63 |
2021 | Tyron Johnson, 2TM | 5 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 3.6 | 209 |
2023 | • Rashid Shaheed, N.O. | 75 | 46 | 719 | 15.6 | 5 | 157.6 | 42 |
—Ian Allan