Moulds shuffled out of Buffalo; agrees to deal with Houston
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Eric Moulds agreed to a contract with Houston on Tuesday and said the Texans have worked out a trade to acquire him from the Buffalo Bills.
"Yeah, it's done," said Greg Johnson, Moulds' personal adviser. "I'm ecstatic. I'm relieved, happy and thankful that all parties came to an agreement."
Moulds, who had the Bills' permission to seek a trade, agreed to a four-year, $14 million contract that includes a $5 million signing bonus. It's not clear what the Texans traded to Buffalo, but it's believed to be a fourth- or fifth-round pick in this month's draft.
The Texans declined to confirm the deal for the wide receiver.
Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold said, "There is nothing official to report."
A 10-year veteran, Moulds had two years left on his contract with Buffalo, but had vowed not to return to the team after he twice rejected the Bills' demands that he accept a significant pay cut last month.
Moulds was scheduled to count about $10.8 million against Buffalo's salary cap.
By trading Moulds, the Bills freed up about $5.5 million in cap space. He still will count about $5.3 million against the Bills' cap because of bonuses factored in during his contract with the team.
Moulds, who has passed his physical with the Texans, agreed to a deal in principle with the Texans last weekend but had to wait until Houston and Buffalo completed the trade. Moulds had been in Houston visiting with the team since Monday before traveling to his home in Louisiana late Tuesday.
"I'm excited about it," Moulds said. "I was optimistic through the whole deal, but at the same time, to get closure and get an opportunity to get it done is a big plus."
The Texans are coming off an NFL-worst 2-14 finish, and the team hasn't had a winning record in its five seasons.
Moulds said he met with Texans receiver Andre Johnson, and he believes he can both complement and tutor the emerging star. He's also excited about the possibility of Houston bolstering its offense by selecting USC running back and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush with the No. 1 pick in this month's draft.
"I would tell them to get their tickets ready. You are going to see a show," Moulds said, when asked what message he had for Texans fans. "It's not going to be the same Texans you've seen before. It's going to be an exciting time."
Buffalo's first-round pick in the 1996 draft, Moulds was the team's senior player and the last current member that competed in a playoff game for the Bills. Buffalo has not made the postseason since 1999 and has only one winning season during that span.
Moulds has 675 career catches for 9,096 yards and 48 touchdowns. Only Andre Reed has more catches (941) and yards (13,095) among Bills receivers.
Johnson said Moulds thanked Bills owner Ralph Wilson and said the player will have good memories of his years in Buffalo.
"It was just a business decision for him and he wanted to move on," Johnson said. "He hopes not only Mr. Wilson but everyone in Buffalo respects that."
AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this report.
SBR Top-Rated Sportsbooks
Eric Moulds deal is done
Reply With Quote