Elijah Moore continues to impress, appears poised to open up Browns' offense with Deshaun Watson under center

BEREA, Ohio — When the Cleveland Browns traded for wide receiver Elijah Moore, it was clear they were adding speed to the roster, as well as a receiver strong at route running. But what is becoming more clear is that Moore's versatility could provide the team with just the boost they need to open up the offense in the first full season with Deshaun Watson at quarterback.

Early into training camp, Moore has been used all over the field in 7-on-7s, 11-on-11s, red zone and two-minute drills. From outside routes that showcase his speed on the deep ball to elusive routes in the slot for quick first down plays—and even handoffs out of the backfield—Moore is becoming a connection for Watson that gives the Browns plenty of options.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt appreciates what Moore brings to the team, and his versatility as an offensive weapon has the organization excited.

"He's a guy that can do a lot of things, very skilled receiver inside, outside, can do stuff out of the backfield. That was impressive to see," Van Pelt said. "His ability to one, carry the ball and then run routes out of the backfield. If they want to leave a linebacker in the game and try to match up with that and obviously, the advantage would go to him, but he does a lot of good things out of the backfield. We had Randall Cobb in Green Bay, and he was in the backfield a lot as a ball carrier as a bubble catcher. All the things you could do free release and motion him out and creativities. So he has that versatility where you can hand him the ball as well."

Moore's versatility has been something that Watson appreciates, too. Watson and Moore have been working on their chemistry all offseason. From work at the team facilities in Berea to private workouts around the country, there's been no shortage of work between the two.

Now in training camp, that chemistry has to start to translate to the field.

Last week at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, where the Browns opened up camp, Watson said Moore, as well as other receivers, are seeing success when it comes to that translation. And that, in turn, is helping the younger receivers.

"It's great cause Elijah can do all types of things. He's very versatile. He can play outside, inside, whatever you need him to do, he can do. But also just the young guys and the depth that we have in that receiver room," Watson said. "Being able to hang around Amari, being able to hang around DPJ, hang around Elijah, the young guys are being able to channel that opportunity, that grind, that work and be able to go out here and participate and be locked and focus. And that's what we've been able to see and we want to have depth and everyone be able to have that opportunity."

Seeing Moore in action throughout all of the Browns' practice sessions from the spring until now has made it clear he has the potential to give the Browns' offense a boost. Versatility is key. The chemistry with Watson only helps.

And as the Browns opened up training camp to the public on Tuesday, fans are starting to get an in-person look at it, too.

As one young fan in the stands for practice shouted after one of Moore's catches: "Wow, I can't wait to see him play for real this year!"

Watch live and local news any time:

Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.

You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.