Texans-Moulds agree to deal (1 Viewer)

[Noahs Troopers]

Bills | Moulds still with the Bills

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:32:34 -0800

WGR550.com reports agent Harry Henderson said reports of Buffalo Bills WR Eric Moulds reaching a contract agreement with the Houston Texans are false. WGR also talked with the Bills, and Scott Berchtold, the club's vice president of communications, said reports of a trade between the Bills and Texans are also false.

 

[coolnerd]

This is a team with no wr2.  It can't be a bad move if they only give up a second day pick since the "starter" right now is Kevin Walters.

Look at what the Texans are gonna pay Moulds, who will be 33 when the 2006 season starts...now factor in that the team is not a contender this upcoming season, and probably won't be a contender for at least 2-3 more years in a best case scenario. Moulds (36) will likely be finished by then. Why is it a good move to pay out a bunch of money to a stopgap WR2 who you are gonna have to replace by the time your team is a contender? It just appears to me Houston's money would be well spent on other positions in developing their roster...

It would be irresponsible for the Texans to run out Armstong, Mathis or Walter as the number 2 when none of them has ever been a clear number 3. If you think any of these guys can be a number 2, a couple of years down the road they should be ready to take over.

No that's not what I am saying Houston should do. If it were me running the show, I would probably target a guy like WR Sinorice Moss (Miami) in round two of the upcoming draft. Develope Andre Johnson, Sinorice Moss and David Carr together over the next few years and see what happens...

So, the Texans would then go into the season with a 4th WR who has proven even less than the three guys i mentioned??? This is horrible draft for WRs, so let's go into it needing to draft a WR who is going to have to play right away? No problem drafting a guy to develop, but forcing a rookie into the line-up will a recipe for the Texans to continue swimming in the mire in the NFL. As Mole and Greg R mentioned the Texans have not put an NFL quality roster on the field.

I was rethinking that before I saw your post, but for different reasons. Sinorice Moss may not be the best fit for what Houston is likely to be running anyway, so scratch that quick thought/response. Houston is likely to be looking for bigger receivers. Here is what Houston could have done, go to Oakland and hit up the Raiders for WR Ron Curry or WR Doug Gabriel. That is something they could have looked into as either would be a good fit for them. And both Curry and Gabriel stand to be around and productive for Houston when they are ready to contend, unlike Moulds. Eric Moulds is nothing special here...Moulds is old and it shows. He was also complaining and whining alot last year about his QB. Receivers tend to do that when they start to break down...And I disagree with your thought that starting a rookie WR is a recipe for disaster...the rookie WR will never produce in his first year theory went out the window years ago.

Over the last 3 years there have been 25 WRs drafted in the 1st & 2nd rounds of the draft and there are about 5 of them worth a flip. BTW, my comment was specifically about the sorry WRs this particular draft looks to be producing ( of course we don't know either way), not a general rule. Moulds old and aging tail caught 80 balls last year. He is better bet to that again than guessing upon the right rookie get 50.

Eric Moulds 2006 Stats80 Catches

816 Yards

10.1 Avg

4 Touchdowns

Yum-yum give me some

Moulds is done...stick a fork in him. Houston should deal for Curry or Gabriel instead of Moulds...that's my take.

The fact that you don't know that 80 catches put Moulds easily in the top 20 in the NFL or that his yardage is probably top 35 speaks for itself.

Assuming I don't know this to the point of hysterical laughter is pretty funny in itself. Being impressed with Moulds ranking in the top 35 in yardage is actually pretty funny too when you think about it. Eric Moulds doesn't even rank in the top half of his fellow NFL starting receivers in yardage. You really showed me with that one. I'll give you Moulds 80 catches, which is why I put out the rest of his stats when you attempted to single that out as your proof that Moulds is a great player.

On the flip side of his catches...what about his average per catch and touchdown numbers? Moulds average per catch is horrible...his yardage and touchdown numbers are nothing special when ranked with his fellow NFL starting WRs. More important than the stats is watching him play, he is slow getting downfield and gains very little separation. The Texans overpayed for his services...

Sorry, I made that assumption when you were trying to convince me that a 5'7 college WR who didn't catch 45 passes this year or a former college QB who can't stay healthy were better options. Forgive me. Not looking for a return to Eric Moulds who was outstanding every other year (was odd or even??) . Just an NFL calibur WR. Will take the boring 65 -70 catches for the next two or three years.

 

[MKB4®]

Texans close to finalizing deal for Moulds

MEGAN MANFULL

3/30/2006

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."

http://www.chron.com

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Moulds is done...stick a fork in him. Houston should deal for Curry or Gabriel instead of Moulds...that's my take.

Andre Johnson's presence will give more room to Moulds than he's ever had in his career. He's going to be open early and often, and I am certain he will become a favorite target of David Carr. Moulds has at least 3 more good years left. People have been writing him off for years now. WRs can be effective for a lot longer than people think.

 

[Bri]

I didn't feel the Bills O was comfy with all that much the last couple years except running with McGahee for a while there.

There's alot of variables involved here. For all we know they could pin Mathis or Walter to his hip so they learn from him. On the field they share playing time.

I'll tell ya what though, I have more confidence in Kubiak's O and the more favorable weather than he had in Buffalo.

Ya can't say teams will think it's easy to cover he and Andre with DD or Bush out of the backfield too. Yet Carr's still gotta have time to throw which has always been the issue in Houston.

 

[rabidfireweasel]

Moulds is done...stick a fork in him. Houston should deal for Curry or Gabriel instead of Moulds...that's my take. 

Andre Johnson's presence will give more room to Moulds than he's ever had in his career. He's going to be open early and often, and I am certain he will become a favorite target of David Carr. Moulds has at least 3 more good years left. People have been writing him off for years now.

Better hope these supposed three good years you think Moulds has left is better than his last three years.2003 64 receptions 780 yards 12.2 avg 1 touchdown

2004 88 receptions 1043 yards 11.9 avg 5 touchdowns

2005 81 receptions 816 yards 10.1 avg 4 touchdowns

Houston would better off developing another younger less expensive WR (such as Curry, Gabriel) with the ability to separate himself from coverage...then two to three years down the road when their club should have enough talent assembled to compete with the teams within their own division, you would have an offense that is really coming together...instead of missing a piece. I mean if the Texans are gonna give up a 4th and payout a 5 million dollar bonus to Eric Moulds, why not just give up a higher pick and a little more coin to Green Bay for Javon Walker? If you're gonna put that kind of money into the position, you might as well get your money's worth and have the acquired players production peaking when your team is...

Fair points, but you are ignoring so key items here. Bob McNair desperately wants to have a competitive team- now. The plan was to compete for the playoffs last year, and to be in the playoffs this year. 7-9 would have been a disappointment in 2005. The only way Casserly stayed on, was that he somehow convinced McNair that they were poorly coached and not poorly run. That means that the theoretically, most of the talent is in place now.A second point is that Casserly came under heavy criticism last year for not having a legitimate NFL WR2 opposite Johnson. Many suggested that opponents would simple take away Johnson, and force Carr to beat them by going to other wr's. He could not do that. Gaffney and Armstrong were not those guys, and Carr simply is not good at checking off to anyone other than Domanick Davis.

If Casserly did not bring in a 2 that could take pressure off Johnson and the offense struggled again, he would be fired this year, and he would not get another GM job anytine soon. I don't think that he felt as if he could stake his career on Curry, Gabriel or a draft pick. Plus, he is clearly seen as a loser in his last Oakland deal for Buchannon. He isn't going to lose his job about overpaying a bit for Moulds, as long as he is putting up 800 and 4-6.

 

[Bri]

If Casserly did not bring in a 2 that could take pressure off Johnson and the offense struggled again, he would be fired this year, and he would not get another GM job anytine soon. I don't think that he felt as if he could stake his career on Curry, Gabriel or a draft pick. Plus, he is clearly seen as a loser in his last Oakland deal for Buchannon. He isn't going to lose his job about overpaying a bit for Moulds, as long as he is putting up 800 and 4-6.

There are many that believe he will replace Art Shell and leave to work for the NFL in the near future. Very strong rumblings/rumors

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Better hope these supposed three good years you think Moulds has left is better than his last three years.2003  64 receptions 780 yards 12.2 avg 1 touchdown2004  88 receptions 1043 yards 11.9 avg 5 touchdowns2005  81 receptions 816 yards 10.1 avg 4 touchdowns

2003 - Moulds played most of the year with a partially torn groin muscle. He had no burst and was a shell of his former self. Price was gone, Josh Reed was a disaster, Moulds was the team's only threat but he was playing hurt so the Bills passing game was very easy to defend. Not a great year to draw any conclusions from.2004 - Moulds got off to a great start, but the team lost their first 4 games (including 3 games by 3 points or less). Then, they went on a streak where they won 9 of their next 11 games (with 8 of the 9 wins by a TD or more). Their schedule was very weak and many of those games were won easily...so McGahee got a heavy workload in the 2nd half while Moulds ran mostly safer routes to try and keep the chains moving. Lee Evans also became a favorite deep target of Bledsoe, with Moulds primarily working the shorter and intermediate routes.2005 - JP Losman happened. After a decent home opener against the Texans, he went on to complete 42% of his passes in his next 3 starts. That 42% accuracy figure doesn't even begin to describe how horrible he was..with many of his passes going nowhere near the target. In the 8 games that Moulds played with Holcombe primarily at QB, he compiled 59 rec, 614 yds, and 4 TDs. Prorate that out to a full season and you'd get 118 rec, 1228 yds, and 8 TDs. Yes, his yards/rec is low, but you can't say that he's not getting open. Also, take a look at his game summaries from last year...you might notice a theme. I'd also argue that Moulds was frequently misused by the Bills offensive coaching staff. They didn't ask him to run many slant patterns which would allow him to get yards after the catch, but rather loved to use him on hooks in which he would frequently get tackled as soon as the ball arrived. If a team is creative with him and if he gets 1 on 1 coverage as the Texans WR2, Moulds can still be a game breaker. At a minimum, he'll be a very reliable target for Carr and will help take some focus of Andre Johnson as defenses will pay a lot more attention to Moulds than they did with Jabar Gaffney and Corey Bradford. He also remains one of the most physical WRs in the game capable of physically dominating many of the league's smaller CBs.

Game Summaries Week 1 vs HOU - Moulds was the most heavily targeted Bills’ receiver, catching four of his seven targets, three of which were for first downs. Moulds was also targeted twice in the end zone but neither pass was catchable. Losman seemed to have confidence in Moulds. Week 2 at TB - Moulds was missed on four out routes that Losman underthrew and he was clearly frustrated. Moulds did look to be open on all the incompletions. He was targeted on one deep ball to the end zone but double coverage broke it up. Week 3 vs ATL - Moulds was Losman’s favorite target but the quality of the passes only allowed him to catch three balls. He dropped a high pass on the opening drive and only gained 18 yards on the day. Week 4 at NO - Moulds was the intended target on a deep pass from J.P. Losman, but the ball was intercepted by Jason Craft. Moulds was not at fault on the play as the ball was well overthrown. Moulds made a great 11 yard catch on second and 19, and the Bills converted the next play for a first down. Moulds seems to still have plenty of ability but the ineffective play at quarterback is limiting his chances. Week 5 vs MIA - Moulds was Holcomb’s favorite target in the game, and he was able to catch seven of the 11 passes thrown his way, gaining a total of 59 yards including a two yard score. Moulds was also targeted on a play immediately before his touchdown reception. Seven catches was a good return considering that Moulds had only caught a total of ten passes in the previous four games. Week 6 vs NYJ - Moulds was again Holcomb’s favorite target. He caught a 15 yard touchdown pass on the Bills’ third possession and made two other key catches for first downs in the game. Moulds caught a pass for the 116th straight game, a franchise record. He seems to be featured much more heavily with Holcomb under center. Week 7 at OAK - Moulds caught a nine yard pass for a first down on the Bills’ opening drive, but he was not a big threat in this game, ending with four catches for 36 yards. Week 8 at NE - Moulds was clearly Holcomb’s favorite target on the night. He ran great routes, blocked downfield for McGahee, and executed well all game long. He trounced his other performances this year, finally going over the 100 yard receiving mark. He caught a 55 yard touchdown early in the second half. He was the target on Holcomb’s lone interception. Week 10 vs KC - Moulds was the Bills’ most targeted receiver, but he ended the game with five catches for just 26 yards. Moulds was overthrown on one pass and dropped the other two incompletions. One was due to taking a big hit as he was about to make the catch. Week 11 at SD - Moulds wasn’t a very big factor results-wise (obviously), but he led the team in receptions and targets and nearly came up with a touchdown reception if not for an overthrow by J.P. Losman. Moulds had much more involvement as the game wore on, with eight of his ten targets coming in the second half. Moulds lost a 14 yard reception after the play was called back due to a holding penalty. Week 12 vs CAR - Moulds was Losman’s favorite target, catching seven of the 11 passes thrown his way. He had a 15 yard reception for a first down on the Bills’ opening drive and several other key catches in the game. He was open on one play but Losman had the pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage. Losman found Moulds at the one yard line late in the first half but the play was negated on a penalty. Moulds was overthrown on another occasion when open, and might have had a gain of around 30 yards. Week 13 at MIA - Moulds saw his streak of games with a reception finally come to an end. He had not had a game without a catch since 11/30/97. He did start the game but was not on the field very often, although it was said to be a coaching decision rather than an injury. He only saw two targets in the game. Week 14 vs NE - Moulds was suspended by the team for this game, but should return next week. Week 15 vs DEN - Moulds returned from his one game suspension and looked hungry for the ball. He caught a 27 yard pass on the opening drive and another 27 yard catch later in the half. He had only caught one 20 yard pass all year entering this game. Moulds had one bad drop on what would have been another 20 yard gain, but he ended with nine catches for 110 yards. Moulds has expressed a desire to play for the Bills next year, but his salary figure may mean that this was his final home game for the Bills. Week 16 at CIN - Moulds was very much in the Bills’ plans and was the favorite target of Holcomb on the day. Moulds was the intended target when Kevin Kaesviharn intercepted Holcomb. He made a good move and beat three or four tacklers on one reception for a 19 yard gain and a first down but most of his catches were for short gains. He ended the day with ten catches for 99 yards. On one catch, Moulds was tackled at the one yard line and stretched out for the end zone, but he was called short by a few inches and Holcomb eventually capped the drive with a one yard sneak for a touchdown. Week 17 at NYJ - Moulds had a big day and was Holcomb’s favorite target in the game. He had a 21 yard reception for a first down on the Bills’ third possession and was later hit in the hands by the ball in the end zone when trying to make a catch over his shoulder, but the play would have been negated by a penalty in any case. Holcomb looked for Moulds on the following drive and found him in the end zone for a 22 yard touchdown reception. Moulds had two catches for first downs on the Bills’ other touchdown drive and was a threat all day ending with 96 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions.

 

[redCashion]

Awesome post Aaron

I don't think you can fault Houston for picking up Moulds. At worst he can provide some veteran leadership on an offense sorely lacking for that, and at best he will put up Keyshawn-Johnson-in-his-twilight numbers that will be a solid complement to Andre Johnson. Either way he's an upgrade over what they had at WR2, and that sounds like fair value for a 4th rounder to me.

 

[nygiants56]

http://www.click2houston.com/randysblog/index.html

David Carr could suddenly be a really good value QB to get .... Bush, Domanick David, Andre Johnson and Moulds are all great receiving options

Wow.....if they hit on a OL in the 2nd round of the draft.....watch out.

Carr could be on the cusp of a top ten season..LOVE his chances to become a big time QB..

 

[AB in DC]

This is a great signing for the Texans. Moulds is a #1 receiver, not a #2. This will really help David Carr to have a consistent target. A veteran receiver is exactly what this team needed.

No, what this team needs most is about three new offensive linemen. :X

 

[Genester]

Here is what I got out of this...

2003 Moulds got hurt

2004 McGahee and Evans took Moulds touches

2005 JP Losman was QB half the time

What's Moulds excuse in 2006 gonna be?

Looking for a diamond in the rough for a guy who's this old and hasn't produced in so long is risky business. Keep in mind, it's still Carr throwing the ball, there's still no O-line, etc. Net, at best, one can reserve judgement on Moulds and Texans until after the draft and FA signings. I would have a hard time buying an argument he's going to be "all that" or even half of "all that" in terms of production at this point. Too many negative factors to be excited here.

 

[Jason Wood]

NFL Network reporting that terms are 4 year, $14 million with $5 million guaranteed in Year One. But the trade is stalemated right now as the Texans want a 4th rounder, Casserly has offered a 5th.

The Network also says that no trade will likely be consumated until Monday or Tuesday as the Texans personnel men are in LA for the USC Pro Day.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

NFL Network reporting that terms are 4 year, $14 million with $5 million guaranteed in Year One. But the trade is stalemated right now as the Texans want a 4th rounder, Casserly has offered a 5th.

The Network also says that no trade will likely be consumated until Monday or Tuesday as the Texans personnel men are in LA for the USC Pro Day.

Moulds may head to Texans

By MARK GAUGHAN

News Sports Reporter

3/31/2006 

Eric Moulds got one foot out the door of the Buffalo Bills' organization Friday but his departure is not likely to be finalized until early next week.

Moulds reached an agreement Thursday on the framework of a contract with the Houston Texans, sources in Houston told The News. That's only half of the process, however. Houston still must get the Bills to agree on the compensation they will pay to finalize the trade.

No completion of the deal was expected until Monday at the earliest. The Texans have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, and their top football executives all are heading to Los Angeles this weekend for the pro-day workout at the University of Southern California on Sunday. Southern Cal running back Reggie Bush is the favorite to be Houston's No. 1 pick.

The trade could fall through if the Bills and Texans can't agree on payment. It's believed the Bills are seeking a fourth-round draft pick, and the Texans are offering a fifth. The Bills currently have nine picks in the draft. They have an extra third-rounder from last year's Travis Henry trade and an extra seventh-rounder, which is a compensatory pick for last year's free-agent losses.

The parameters of Moulds' deal with Houston are four years and roughly $14 million, with a signing bonus of $5 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Moulds' New Orleans-based representative, Greg Johnson, declined to comment on the terms and said the contract was not finalized. However, he said, "I feel like we're close enough to where I'd be shocked if there was a deal-breaker (on the contract)."

Moulds is taking up $10.8 million in cap space on the Bills' books. He is due to receive $7.1 million in cash from the Bills this year. The Bills offered him a contract that included a pay cut that would have allowed him to finish his career in Buffalo. However, after 10 seasons that saw him play under four head coaches, six offensive coordinators and nine starting quarterbacks, Moulds is eager for a fresh start somewhere else.

Philadelphia also was interested in Moulds, but the Eagles apparently were not willing to come close to Houston's contract terms.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060331/1025338.asp

March 31, 2006, 7:51AM

Texans close to deal for receiver Moulds

Compensation to Bills remains negotiating point

By MEGAN MANFULL

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

After days of negotiations, the Texans are close to finalizing a trade that will land 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 Monday to meet with Texans officials. He is projected 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 work out Sunday at Southern Cal's pro day.

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.

Because 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, 32, permission to seek a trade.

Moulds, 6-2 and 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.

The Texans ranked 30th in passing last year, but 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."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3760975.html

 

[Rozelle]

Kubiak alone will make a difference with Carr and the O-line. Before Kubiak (same time as Shanahan) came to Denver, Elway had thrown for 20+ TD's in a season twice...2 times in 11 seasons. He had only thrown for 17 or more td's once in his previous 5 years before Shanahan/Kubiak. I know...I know TD broke in the same year.

After Shanahan/Kubiak, Elway averaged 25 td's per season and never threw less than 22. IMO you have to be blind not to see the bright light shining over Reliant Stadium. Houston fans should be excited. They will address the o-line and they have the opportunity to draft Reggie Bush, picking up Moulds is absoulety great move for them. When this offense comes together, they could be something special.

While I beleive Dom Capers is a good man, he and Casserly did a poor job of getting players to match the over the top conservative scheme.

Stay tuned...

 

[Bri]

Casserly has been around a long time. IMO You guys are short-sighted judging him on one bad trade(Buchanon). I'm sure even George Young and John Butler made bad trades.

 

[Houston turmOiler]

Casserly has been around a long time. IMO You guys are short-sighted judging him on one bad trade(Buchanon). I'm sure even George Young and John Butler made bad trades.

He's made a lot more bad moves than that one. The defensive line has a lot of money tied up (Robaire Smith, Seth Payne, Travis Johnson, and now Anthony Weaver) in a lot of guys who really haven't been overly productive. Hopefully it's just because Vic Fangio was an idiot. Still, Casserly's left us scratching our heads many times. For some reason he loves to gamble on projects...1) used a supplemental pick on Tony Hollings (who'd played all of 4 games at RB before blowing out his knee) that ended up costing us a high second. The only thing Hollings was good at was fumbling, and he was recently released.

2) traded up for Jason Babin (who, like Buchanon, was benched last season). Casserly gave up a boatload of middle round picks to a DIVISION RIVAL in serious cap trouble (TEN) who needed those picks to help rebuild. I believe Shaun Phillips went in the 7th round that year to the Chargers (who also used a 3-4) and he's been a better situational pass rusher than Babin.

3) gave Todd Wade BIG money to play RT (another player benched). Guy is the definition of a turnstile out there, he's so slow sometimes he doesn't even lay a hand on who he's supposed to block. Oh yeah, we also couldn't run the ball to the right side for half of last year when he was in there. Big Money + non-existant pass blocker + poor run blocker = DISASTER. Casserly's taken some heat for not providing Carr with an offensive line, but he has tried to sign some guys (McKinney, Weigert, Wade). Problem is they all suck and he gave them good money. I like the recent signing of Flanagan but Casserly's track record has me holding my breath.

4) generally sucked in the middle rounds. To me, this is the difference between good teams and really sucky ones, like the Texans. The Steelers always get guys in the middle rounds that can play. The only really decent ones I can recall in our drafts are Domanick Davis, Jerome Mathis, and Antwan Peek (giving him the benefit of the doubt, think he'll be a decent RE). I wouldn't call Gaffney outright terrible but top of the second round is a bit high for a #3 possession WR. Joppru's been a disaster (to be fair, he sure didn't seem injury prone in college), we could've had Jason Witten instead. The other second rounders are gone in the deals for Buchanon, Babin, and Hollings. Last season's 2-14 record is a direct refection of how lousy Casserly has drafted in the middle rounds.

I like the direction the team has taken with Kubiak on board. Adding Flanagan, Putzier, Cook, and now Moulds makes it appear he's putting his stamp on the team. Add Bush to that and this offense just got a helluva lot better in a hurry. We've also got the 2.1, 3.1, and 3.2 picks, so hopefully Kubiak can tell Casserly who to draft here (for the love of God don't let Casserly make this pick) and add a good OL or two here. This would really solidify the offensive side of the ball if they could actually make some good picks in these spots, then concentrate on defense next year. Hopefully Casserly will be working in the league office by then....

 

[Festivus]

Casserly has been around a long time. IMO You guys are short-sighted judging him on one bad trade(Buchanon). I'm sure even George Young and John Butler made bad trades.

He's made a lot more bad moves than that one. The defensive line has a lot of money tied up (Robaire Smith, Seth Payne, Travis Johnson, and now Anthony Weaver) in a lot of guys who really haven't been overly productive. Hopefully it's just because Vic Fangio was an idiot. Still, Casserly's left us scratching our heads many times. For some reason he loves to gamble on projects...1) used a supplemental pick on Tony Hollings (who'd played all of 4 games at RB before blowing out his knee) that ended up costing us a high second. The only thing Hollings was good at was fumbling, and he was recently released.

2) traded up for Jason Babin (who, like Buchanon, was benched last season). Casserly gave up a boatload of middle round picks to a DIVISION RIVAL in serious cap trouble (TEN) who needed those picks to help rebuild. I believe Shaun Phillips went in the 7th round that year to the Chargers (who also used a 3-4) and he's been a better situational pass rusher than Babin.

3) gave Todd Wade BIG money to play RT (another player benched). Guy is the definition of a turnstile out there, he's so slow sometimes he doesn't even lay a hand on who he's supposed to block. Oh yeah, we also couldn't run the ball to the right side for half of last year when he was in there. Big Money + non-existant pass blocker + poor run blocker = DISASTER. Casserly's taken some heat for not providing Carr with an offensive line, but he has tried to sign some guys (McKinney, Weigert, Wade). Problem is they all suck and he gave them good money. I like the recent signing of Flanagan but Casserly's track record has me holding my breath.

4) generally sucked in the middle rounds. To me, this is the difference between good teams and really sucky ones, like the Texans. The Steelers always get guys in the middle rounds that can play. The only really decent ones I can recall in our drafts are Domanick Davis, Jerome Mathis, and Antwan Peek (giving him the benefit of the doubt, think he'll be a decent RE). I wouldn't call Gaffney outright terrible but top of the second round is a bit high for a #3 possession WR. Joppru's been a disaster (to be fair, he sure didn't seem injury prone in college), we could've had Jason Witten instead. The other second rounders are gone in the deals for Buchanon, Babin, and Hollings. Last season's 2-14 record is a direct refection of how lousy Casserly has drafted in the middle rounds.

I like the direction the team has taken with Kubiak on board. Adding Flanagan, Putzier, Cook, and now Moulds makes it appear he's putting his stamp on the team. Add Bush to that and this offense just got a helluva lot better in a hurry. We've also got the 2.1, 3.1, and 3.2 picks, so hopefully Kubiak can tell Casserly who to draft here (for the love of God don't let Casserly make this pick) and add a good OL or two here. This would really solidify the offensive side of the ball if they could actually make some good picks in these spots, then concentrate on defense next year. Hopefully Casserly will be working in the league office by then....

Here is one Texan fan who is ready for Casserly to move on. He hasn't made a single impressive move to go with the above list of questionalble moves, either.

 

[Rozelle]

Casserly has been around a long time. IMO You guys are short-sighted judging him on one bad trade(Buchanon). I'm sure even George Young and John Butler made bad trades.

He's made a lot more bad moves than that one. The defensive line has a lot of money tied up (Robaire Smith, Seth Payne, Travis Johnson, and now Anthony Weaver) in a lot of guys who really haven't been overly productive. Hopefully it's just because Vic Fangio was an idiot. Still, Casserly's left us scratching our heads many times. For some reason he loves to gamble on projects...1) used a supplemental pick on Tony Hollings (who'd played all of 4 games at RB before blowing out his knee) that ended up costing us a high second. The only thing Hollings was good at was fumbling, and he was recently released.

2) traded up for Jason Babin (who, like Buchanon, was benched last season). Casserly gave up a boatload of middle round picks to a DIVISION RIVAL in serious cap trouble (TEN) who needed those picks to help rebuild. I believe Shaun Phillips went in the 7th round that year to the Chargers (who also used a 3-4) and he's been a better situational pass rusher than Babin.

3) gave Todd Wade BIG money to play RT (another player benched). Guy is the definition of a turnstile out there, he's so slow sometimes he doesn't even lay a hand on who he's supposed to block. Oh yeah, we also couldn't run the ball to the right side for half of last year when he was in there. Big Money + non-existant pass blocker + poor run blocker = DISASTER. Casserly's taken some heat for not providing Carr with an offensive line, but he has tried to sign some guys (McKinney, Weigert, Wade). Problem is they all suck and he gave them good money. I like the recent signing of Flanagan but Casserly's track record has me holding my breath.

4) generally sucked in the middle rounds. To me, this is the difference between good teams and really sucky ones, like the Texans. The Steelers always get guys in the middle rounds that can play. The only really decent ones I can recall in our drafts are Domanick Davis, Jerome Mathis, and Antwan Peek (giving him the benefit of the doubt, think he'll be a decent RE). I wouldn't call Gaffney outright terrible but top of the second round is a bit high for a #3 possession WR. Joppru's been a disaster (to be fair, he sure didn't seem injury prone in college), we could've had Jason Witten instead. The other second rounders are gone in the deals for Buchanon, Babin, and Hollings. Last season's 2-14 record is a direct refection of how lousy Casserly has drafted in the middle rounds.

I like the direction the team has taken with Kubiak on board. Adding Flanagan, Putzier, Cook, and now Moulds makes it appear he's putting his stamp on the team. Add Bush to that and this offense just got a helluva lot better in a hurry. We've also got the 2.1, 3.1, and 3.2 picks, so hopefully Kubiak can tell Casserly who to draft here (for the love of God don't let Casserly make this pick) and add a good OL or two here. This would really solidify the offensive side of the ball if they could actually make some good picks in these spots, then concentrate on defense next year. Hopefully Casserly will be working in the league office by then....

Not a Houston homer, but curious how much input Capers had in the draft?

 

[coolnerd]

Casserly has been around a long time. IMO You guys are short-sighted judging him on one bad trade(Buchanon). I'm sure even George Young and John Butler made bad trades.

He's made a lot more bad moves than that one. The defensive line has a lot of money tied up (Robaire Smith, Seth Payne, Travis Johnson, and now Anthony Weaver) in a lot of guys who really haven't been overly productive. Hopefully it's just because Vic Fangio was an idiot. Still, Casserly's left us scratching our heads many times. For some reason he loves to gamble on projects...1) used a supplemental pick on Tony Hollings (who'd played all of 4 games at RB before blowing out his knee) that ended up costing us a high second. The only thing Hollings was good at was fumbling, and he was recently released.

2) traded up for Jason Babin (who, like Buchanon, was benched last season). Casserly gave up a boatload of middle round picks to a DIVISION RIVAL in serious cap trouble (TEN) who needed those picks to help rebuild. I believe Shaun Phillips went in the 7th round that year to the Chargers (who also used a 3-4) and he's been a better situational pass rusher than Babin.

3) gave Todd Wade BIG money to play RT (another player benched). Guy is the definition of a turnstile out there, he's so slow sometimes he doesn't even lay a hand on who he's supposed to block. Oh yeah, we also couldn't run the ball to the right side for half of last year when he was in there. Big Money + non-existant pass blocker + poor run blocker = DISASTER. Casserly's taken some heat for not providing Carr with an offensive line, but he has tried to sign some guys (McKinney, Weigert, Wade). Problem is they all suck and he gave them good money. I like the recent signing of Flanagan but Casserly's track record has me holding my breath.

4) generally sucked in the middle rounds. To me, this is the difference between good teams and really sucky ones, like the Texans. The Steelers always get guys in the middle rounds that can play. The only really decent ones I can recall in our drafts are Domanick Davis, Jerome Mathis, and Antwan Peek (giving him the benefit of the doubt, think he'll be a decent RE). I wouldn't call Gaffney outright terrible but top of the second round is a bit high for a #3 possession WR. Joppru's been a disaster (to be fair, he sure didn't seem injury prone in college), we could've had Jason Witten instead. The other second rounders are gone in the deals for Buchanon, Babin, and Hollings. Last season's 2-14 record is a direct refection of how lousy Casserly has drafted in the middle rounds.

I like the direction the team has taken with Kubiak on board. Adding Flanagan, Putzier, Cook, and now Moulds makes it appear he's putting his stamp on the team. Add Bush to that and this offense just got a helluva lot better in a hurry. We've also got the 2.1, 3.1, and 3.2 picks, so hopefully Kubiak can tell Casserly who to draft here (for the love of God don't let Casserly make this pick) and add a good OL or two here. This would really solidify the offensive side of the ball if they could actually make some good picks in these spots, then concentrate on defense next year. Hopefully Casserly will be working in the league office by then....

Not a Houston homer, but curious how much input Capers had in the draft?

Capers and his staff had their recommendations. Example: Rumor has it that the defensive coordinator was the one in love with Babin while the scouting was lukewarm on him. Casserly had the final say on personel, but if what I understand is correct that Casserly did not use his veto power enough, and as in that case went to far out of the way to provide the staff the players they exactly wanted.