WR Elijah Moore (8.20.23)
How are you feeling rib wise?
“I feel good. I’m day by day. I needed a couple of days to get it right and now it’s just fine tuning it up again.”
Did you fall on the ball?
“Yeah, I fell on the ball. It was the first play, the out I fell on the ball.”
Elijah, that was our first kind of look at how they want to use you and how fun has it been to kind of figure that out and explore all the things you can do in this offense?
“I mean, it’s really super fun. I feel like there’s a lot that I can do and I’m grateful that I’m being able to have the opportunity to do it. So I can’t do nothing but thank God I’m in this position.”
How much have you lined up in the backfield since maybe even back to high school?
“High school, a lot. College a little bit with (Lane) Kiffin and the Little League. That’s what I played.”
I was going to say to run some of those kind of plays that you ran against the Commanders, like do you feel like a little kid again?
“Almost. Some of my other teammates always joke with me and be like, are you back at Davy? That was my Little League pound. Yeah, man. It always feels good to do more than just what is expected for me to do.”
I saw that Deebo (Samuel) said that he didn’t really necessarily want to have that dual moniker of running back and wide receiver and I’m just wondering, are you totally cool with that, doing both things and if so, why?
“Yeah, I mean, whatever they want me to do. Another way to get the ball and score. So I don’t care how I get it, I just want the ball.”
What about the fact that running backs, if you are considered in that category, the money isn’t necessarily as big as for a receiver? Do you worry about anything like that?
“No, I don’t worry about that. I mean, I know I’m not a running back and I know I’m not lining up there strictly for the whole game. At least I hope not. I play receiver that can do a lot of things.”
Were you surprised when Kevin (Stefanski) kind of unveiled that he was going to use you in as many ways?
“The first day I got know, they kind of was showing me what they had a feel for and then I feel like as soon as they see me practice and see what I got to do, they were just experimenting and see what I could do. So yeah, I mean, I kind of knew I just didn’t know it was going to be maybe as much or as little. I guess it’s by game plan, right?”
Did you regret not having an opportunity to do team against such a great defense in Philadelphia?
“I wanted none more than to practice that specific week, more than any other week, especially during preseason. But that was really annoying to me. But you know, it is what is. I’m taking steps forward. I got to be positive.”
Elijah, what makes you such a versatile player. They line you up outside, they line you in slot, throw you in the backfield, run and catch it out of the back. Just what makes you such a prolific, versatile player?
“I just love football, and I feel like if you love football, you’ll learn to be good at whatever they need you to do, especially at this level. There’s a lot of good players in the league. You got to have respect for that too. So whatever they need me to get done, I love it. So I think I can get it done.”
There was a lot of talk on day two in Philadelphia that the Eagles defense kind of got the best of the Browns offense a little bit, and I know you did individuals that day, but were you thinking to yourself, ‘would have been a little different had I been out there’?
“Yeah, of course. Those thoughts do go through my head, but it’s practice. We’re going to have our ups and our downs. I guess it was just a day that they got the best of us, but come game time, I’m pretty sure we’re going to be stepping in the right direction.”
How much would you describe the way you and Deshaun (Watson) have kind of grown together over these last couple of months?
“It’s been a huge blessing having someone like to learn from. Just having that example of what it’s like to be a pro, that’s like, my main thing, just watching him every day, watching his routine, seeing just how he impacts the game before he steps on the field. So it’s definitely something special.”
Amari (Cooper) talked so much about route running. Coaches have talked about your route running. Have you taken a lot from him? Is that something you guys spent a lot of time you spent a lot of time talking about?
“Yeah, of course, man. He’s been killing the league for ten, nine, 10 years now, so how could you not? So that’s my mindset.”
What have you taken from him as far as the route running?
“Man, everything. Literally everything, man, as far as releases, man, as far as just his thought process on different routes. His mindset on what he sees at the line and later in the route, just literally everything.”
We hear guys talk about Marquise (Goodwin), even though he’s not on the field, how much it helps in that room with young receivers. What has he been like for you guys in that room?
“He got the energy. For someone who’s not playing, you wouldn’t know that he’s not there. I feel like he does a really good job with that and just being present. When you’re not playing, people could be down. That guy is never down, so you got to be thankful for that.”
When a guy isn’t playing but has that much energy, do you sort of feel like, Ookay, I got to match that. If he’s not playing, I got to do that too’?
“Exactly. There’s days I’m sure not a lot of people probably want to come out here, but how could you not seeing him? He’s not even going to play. Respect.”
How cool is it for you to watch a younger guy like Austin Watkins go out there and have so much success on the field and in the game?
“That was like my favorite part. I’m going to be selfish towards the receiver room, but that was like my favorite part about the whole preseason this far was seeing him do his thing. It’s a really good moment to see somebody else shine, especially someone that you see out here who may not have as much opportunity as everybody else and then goes and makes it worth his while. So, man, kudos to him.”
Denzel (Ward),Greg (Newsome), MJ (Martin Emerson Jr.) really different cornerbacks. What is it like going against those three guys out here? What does that do for you?
“It gets us ready for the game, I guess. It’s all ready for the game. I feel like having those guys on the team only going to allow us to – when we see somebody else in the game. We’re not going to see nothing better than practice.”
Why do you think it’s such an advantage when they do line you up at running back? What does it do to a defense to have you back there with Deshaun?
“I don’t think that they would expect me to be back there and if they do, I don’t think they expect me to run the ball. I think they probably think I’m going to run a route which I’m going to do that, too. So you’re going to pick your poison on what you think I’m going to do. If you guess wrong, man, we got you”
Do you feel like the matchup when you do run, routes are better when you line up in the backfield?
“Yeah, I mean, I feel like me or a linebacker, what do you think? I like me any day.”
What about just from a toughness standpoint? You were used to getting yards after catch, how do you rate yourself in terms of just size wise going up against bigger linebackers and defenders?
“Definitely got to get my mind right. Going back there and you know line up in the backfield. But it’s football, man. I’ve been playing football since I was little. I get the ball, trying to let nobody touch me.”
The way they’re using you and the versatility, you said maybe didn’t expect this much. When you look back at this offseason and the time that you were spending with Deshaun, does it maybe feel like a really good idea that you guys were able to connect so much and is that playing into the practice right now?
“It’s probably the only reason why it is connected so much. People, I think, have slept on how much the off the field comes first. Like in the game, coach harps on us about picking up your brother. When that’s your dog, when that’s one of your best friends, you’re going to make sure that you pick him up. So I think it is super important that we did that and that we continue to hang out and know each other on a personal level.”
What did you think of Coop (Amari Cooper) saying you guys were like (Torry) Holt and (Isaac) Bruce with the Rams?
“Yeah. I mean, you can’t do nothing but get excited when the guy who’s been in the league you know has high praises as far as that. I’m just coming to work every single day ready to put my best foot forward and at the end we’re going to tally it up.”
Elijah, Kevin mentioned that in Kansas City expects you guys to play a little bit more. How important is that to kind of get into a game rhythm, to have more opportunities, more than just you had that one driveway against Washington.?
“Yeah. I think it’s super important. That’s why were doing what we’re doing today and moving forward. I’m sure we’re going to have more practices like that from now on. But I think it is time we’re getting closer to it and they got a plan. Man. I think everybody’s bought in.”
Are you Tory or Isaac?
“You got to ask Coop, man”
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