Falcons Trade Grade: Rondale Moore Gets Mixed Reviews

Rondale Moore has been traded from the Arizona Cardinals to the Atlanta Falcons.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 15, 2024

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The Atlanta Falcons are busy on the trade market, acquiring receiver Rondale Moore from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for quarterback Desmond Ridder.

The move came after the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal, ending the need for Ridder to be under center.

Now, the Falcons are turning Ridder into a target for his successor in Cousins by trading for Moore.

Rondale Moore — Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

However, Bleacher Report questions how strong the move will end up for the Falcons. The outlet gave the Falcons a 'B-' in their initial trade grade while the Cardinals received a 'B'.

"He has shown flashes of being dangerous with the ball in his hands. But since the Cardinals took him with a second-round pick in 2021, Moore's numbers have declined in each season. He caught a career-low 40 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown last year," Bleacher Report writes.

Perhaps a change of scenery and some consistency at the quarterback position that he didn't have in Arizona will help Moore thrive in Atlanta. Needless to say, the Falcons needed to make some space in the quarterback room and they chose to keep Taylor Heinicke as Cousins' backup instead of Ridder, Atlanta's third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Falcons Continue WR Room Makeover, Trade for Cardinals' Moore

Perhaps Cousins can unlock the potential Moore flashed at Purdue and in his rookie year, leading him to earning a potential raise when he hits free agency in a year from now.

Published Mar 15, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.