Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3760740.html
March 30, 2006, 9:22PM
Texans close to finalizing deal for Moulds
By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
After days of negotiations, the Houston Texans are close to finalizing a trade that will land them Buffalo Bills wide receiver Eric Moulds.
The Texans have agreed to pay Moulds $14 million over four years, in a deal that includes a $5 million signing bonus. The only part of the deal that has yet to be finalized is what the Texans will give the Bills as compensation. The Texans are offering a fifth-round draft pick. The Bills are asking for a fourth-round pick.
Moulds will arrive in town on Monday to meet with Texans officials. He is slated to become the Texans' No. 2 receiver and start opposite Andre Johnson.
"We are excited for this opportunity, and Eric is ecstatic about playing opposite of Andre Johnson," said Greg Johnson, Moulds' agent. "We'd be overstepping our bounds if we said it's just about dotting the i's and crossing the t's. It's not that close to being done, but we are very excited."
Johnson and Texans general manager Charley Casserly said no more progress will be made toward a deal until Monday. Casserly will be in Los Angeles over the weekend to watch running back Reggie Bush workout at Southern Cal's pro day on Sunday.
Moulds, a 10-year veteran, was the Texans' main priority during the past week. After being outbid by Tennessee for free agent receiver David Givens, the Texans turned their focus to Moulds, who had two years left on his contract with the Bills.
Since Moulds was set to count about $10.8 million against Buffalo's salary cap next season, the Bills wanted to restructure his contract. When their attempts failed, they granted Moulds permission to seek a trade.
Moulds, who is 6-2, 210 pounds, has spent his entire career in Buffalo. He was a first-round pick in the 1996 draft and has been a full-time starter since 1998. He has 675 catches for 9,096 yards and 48 touchdowns in 154 career games.
Moulds, a native of Lucedale, Miss., is excited about moving closer to his home.
"His mom has only attended about five games in Buffalo," Johnson said. "She says she can't wait to get in her RV and head down I-10 for the six-hour drive. She wants to tailgate with the fans. She says it will remind her of his college days (at Mississippi State).
"Hopefully this will work out for everyone. I can't say it definitely will, but we're very excited."
Moulds has been hampered by an offense that has struggled for most of the past five years. The passing game, which has ranked no better than 27th in the past three seasons, was part of the reason Moulds sought to leave Buffalo.
While the Texans ranked 30th out of 32 teams in passing last year, Johnson said Moulds is optimistic that won't be the case for long.
"He's excited about catching balls from David Carr, and he's especially excited because there won't just be one Pro Bowl receiver there will be two," Johnson said. "He told me, 'How do I know there are two Pro Bowl receivers? Because Andre Johnson beat me out two years ago.'
"He's excited about the possible addition of Reggie Bush or even playing alongside Domanick Davis. They are both great backs. He doesn't see this as just a two-and-whatever team. He feels it's a new year for this team, and that he can really come in and truly help them win some games."
