Cleveland Browns: 12 best UDFAs since 1999

Cleveland Browns UDFA No. 5: Evan Moore, tight end, Class of 2009

Evan Moore played his college ball at Stanford, ultimately playing his senior year under Jim Harbaugh. In college, he was used as a wide receiver, although as he matured he started to take on the role of tight end.

After a very good sophomore campaign, he suffered a serious hip dislocation injury, resulting in a medical redshirt, and probably diminishing his accomplishments thereafter. In any case, his sophomore stats were by far the most impressive of his college career with 616 yards and six TDs.

Had he been able to post similar numbers as a senior, he probably would have been drafted, but instead, he was held to 39 catches, 481 yards, and only one touchdown. Hence it was not a shocker that he wasn’t drafted.

Nevertheless, he received a tryout from the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers before getting a chance with the Cleveland Browns in 2009. In 2010, he averaged 20.1 yards per reception and 12.4 yards per target on 16 receptions and 26 targets for 322 yards. Moore was sometimes used as a wide receiver as well as a tight end, in combination with veteran Ben Watson and Jordan Cameron.

He had three solid campaigns for the Browns, totaling 804 yards overall during that time. Prior to the 2011 season, he signed a contract extension for three years at close to three million per year (although probably not much of that was guaranteed). Somewhat mysteriously, however, he was cut at the end of the 2011 season and wound up playing for the Seattle Seahawks.

Perhaps the Browns believed that Cameron was going to develop and that made Moore expendable. Alternatively, it might be that Moore’s injuries were catching up with him.

In Seattle, he played in 14 games but had only one reception during the year. He moved on to Philadelphia, where he underwent surgery for a back injury, and that concluded his career. Perhaps that injury explains the downturn in what had been a promising career up to that point. In any case, Moore decided to call it a career.

These days, Moore is working as a college football analyst for the PAC-12 Network.