Seahawks Offseason Profile: David Moore
After spending the majority of his rookie season on Seattle’s practice roster, receiver David Moore performed beyond expectations in 2018 and there was hope within the organization he’d be able to improve off those results in his third season.
Heading into the 2019 campaign, Moore was slotted as the No. 3 receiver behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the third-year pro failed to produce consistent results once again and struggled to serve as a third option in the passing game for Russell Wilson.
Let’s revisit some of the good and the bad from Moore’s third NFL season, along with a prediction of how next season may play out for him as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next spring.
What Went Right
Despite Moore’s inconsistencies, he was once again able to show flashes of his potential during his third season in the Pacific Northwest.
In total, the 25-year old receiver played in 14 regular season games and he produced 17 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 17.7 yards per catch (third-highest among all qualified receivers with 50 targets or fewer), according to ProFootballReference.com.
When Moore was utilized as a rusher, the East Central product carried the football three times and rushed for 25 yards, including his explosive 19-yard carry in Week 16 against Arizona.
Along with these encouraging results, the former seventh-round selection was also pleasantly productive at creating additional yardage after the catch during this past season.
In 2018, Moore produced a measly 93 yards after the catch and failed to create a single broken tackle. Following his impressive offseason workout regimen, No. 83 recorded 128 yards after the catch and a trio of broken tackles in 2019. This success continued into the postseason, as he picked up big yardage after the catch on a clutch reception against the Eagles in the wild card round, slipping through a tackle to race 38 yards.
Based on his 4.42 40-yard dash speed, the 6-foot receiver also relied on his explosive speed to create separation in coverage and showcased his best trait on multiple occasions during the 2019 campaign.
During Seattle’s Week 13 matchup against Minnesota, Moore’s game-changing ability was on full display after he exploded past cornerback Xavier Rhodes for a 60-yard touchdown reception, longest of his career.
What Went Wrong
Despite staying healthy throughout the 2018 campaign, Moore was forced to start this past season later than expected.
Before the start of the regular season, the Texas native suffered a hairline fracture in his shoulder during practice and was sidelined for the first two weeks of the 2019 campaign.
Once Moore returned to the field, he failed to emerge as a complete receiver and struggled with ball security. Overall, Seattle’s young receiver recorded one catch or fewer in 10 of his 14 games, dropped a pair of passes, and lost two fumbles as well.
In addition, the majority of Moore’s catching woes occurred during clutch moments, including third down possessions and plays within the red zone.
Without question, Wilson and the Seahawks started to lose a lot of confidence in Moore in a Week 8 matchup against the Falcons. During his sixth game of the season, the once-promising receiver failed to haul in a pair of catchable passes on third down, forcing Seattle to settle for a field goal on both drives.
Unfortunately for Moore, his woes carried into the playoffs and he was invisible during Seattle’s divisional round showdown against Green Bay. While he played 68 percent of the offensive snaps and produced 57 yards on two catches in the wild card round, the speedy receiver earned just 16 offensive snaps (26 percent) and wasn’t targeted at Lambeau Field.
Along with being unreliable, Moore also struggled with penalties this past season. Among all receivers in the league, he finished tied with the third-most offensive holding penalties (two), according to NFL-Penalties.com.
2020 Outlook
Even though Moore signed his restricted free agent tender, there’s still no guarantee that he’ll be on Seattle’s roster whenever the regular season begins.
With the addition of Phillip Dorsett along with John Ursua entering his second season, finding playing time for Moore could become difficult for the Seahawks. In addition, Seattle also drafted receiver Freddie Swain with the 214th pick in this year's NFL Draft and he'll undoubtedly receive an opportunity to compete for a job this summer.
In comparison to Moore’s first three seasons in the league, there have been nine other receivers who've completed 50 receptions or fewer and produced at least 745 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, and averaged 17 yards/catch or higher through their first three seasons in the NFL.
Among the players listed above, only Bucky Pope and Clarence Weathers failed to produce at least 15 catches for 300 yards during their fourth season in the league. Bob Boyd, Mel Gray, and John Stallworth were the only players to average at least 17 yards per catch during that same season.
Based on these results, if provided with the opportunity, Moore shouldn’t have any issues at least replicating his production from this past season. With that being said, this sample size does indicate explosive plays may be tough to come by, though playing in Seattle's offense will certainly help his cause.
Since the Seahawks could save just over $2.1 million by cutting Moore, if he's not able to take the next step forward in his development, the team may consider parting ways. That possibility should be enough motivation for the young receiver to improve heading into the 2020 season.
