Falcons land speedy WR Rondale Moore in Desmond Ridder trade

Atlanta’s remaking its receiving corps, and it continues with the addition of a young player who fell out of favor in Arizona.

It has been a wild afternoon for the Atlanta Falcons, who were reportedly working on a deal to trade quarterback Desmond Ridder that apparently came together very quickly. They’ve shipped Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals, getting back wide receiver Rondale Moore in the exchange.

As low-cost swaps go, this will likely prove to be a fruitful one for both teams. Ridder’s 2023 was catastrophic and a new team probably will give him a better chance at actually appearing in games at some point in the future, even if Kyler Murray is obviously locked in as Arizona’s starter. The Falcons, meanwhile, clear the way for Taylor Heinicke, a rookie, or both to back up Kirk Cousins while recouping something of value for a quarterback the new regime clearly was not interested in trying to develop further.

You might have expected a late round draft pick, but that’s not the something the Falcons prized. That something is a someone: Moore, a player the Falcons are likely importing as their starting slot receiver for 2024. He has a year left on his rookie deal and is coming off a season where he put up 352 yards and a touchdown on 40 grabs. He has never had more than a single touchdown or 435 yards in a single season in Arizona, and while some of that can be laid at the feet of inconsistent quarterbacking and shaky offense when Kyler Murray was out with injuries, Moore has not proven to be a difference maker at the NFL level to this point, though he has of course had flashes where his ruggedness and speed look tantalizing.

Perhaps he will in Atlanta, where his road to snaps is currently unblocked and will likely remain that way. Moore is fast and strong for a 5’7”, 180-pound listed receiver, and will be just 24 years old in 2024. He hasn’t had much of a special teams role in his career to this point, which may change in Atlanta, but he did field kicks and punts in his rookie season and was a decent option there. In addition, Moore logged some snaps out of the backfield in Arizona last year, putting up 178 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

The Falcons are getting a player who has enough talent and speed to be a really interesting slot option in what’s looking like a compelling Falcons offense. If he’s the third or fourth receiver in the team’s pecking order, a fun occasional option and emergency pinch hitter at running back, and an emergency option as a returner, then he’ll be mighty useful in Atlanta. I don’t think any of those things are unfair to expect, and in a more talented offense, perhaps Moore will take off.

The Falcons aren’t quite done on offense yet, but they’ve been working through their moves on that side of the ball first and now have added their new starting quarterback, a pair of fast receivers, a talented blocking tight end, and a couple of depth pieces. We’ll hope Moore proves to be a very useful piece of that puzzle, and we wish Ridder well in Arizona, where hopefully a chance of scenery gives him a chance to resurrect his career that he clearly was not going to receiver in Atlanta.