ARTICLE: Dallas Cowboys should pursue veteran Bills wide-out Eric Moulds
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys should pursue Moulds
By Connor Byrne ; 02/16/06
With all of this speculation circulating about the Dallas Cowboys being a possible suitor for Terrell Owens, one has to wonder, aren't there other proven receivers that "America's Team" can go after? The answer to that is definitely yes. One of them happens to have a connection to Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
The receiver that I'm speaking of is veteran Bills wide-out Eric Moulds. In his decade-long career in Buffalo, Moulds has consistently been one of the league's elite pass-catchers. One has to wonder how great he could have been had he been catching balls from the same quarterback on a regular basis. Instead Moulds was forced to deal with the likes of Todd Collins, Alex Van Pelt, Rob Johnson, and J.P. Losman. With solid veterans like Doug Flutie, Kelly Holcomb, and Drew Bledsoe at the helm, Moulds flourished.
In his time as one of the best receivers in Bills history, Moulds has compiled 675 receptions and 48 touchdowns. The 32-year old has been among the most physical of NFL receivers throughout his career. He went from being a spoiled, immature player at Mississippi State, to one of the Bills' best leaders, despite some problems with ex-head coach Mike Mularkey, and Losman, the Bills' 24-year old quarterback.
Now, it appears that Moulds' illustrious career in Buffalo has reached a halt. Moulds is scheduled to count somewhere between 10 and11 million dollars against the Bills' salary cap in 2006. Obviously, the Bills--nor anyone else--can afford that type of salary. With a possible release looming, the best fit for Moulds nowadays is the Cowboys. He would likely cost Dallas somewhere between 3-5 million dollars per year. That's certainly economical for one of the game's elite.
Why Dallas? It's simple. They need another solid target in the receiving game, and Moulds has a solid relationship with the aforementioned Bledsoe. In his three years catching passes from Bledsoe, Moulds pulled in 252 balls for 3,110 yards. If you do the math, that equates to about 84 receptions and 1,037 yards per season. If Moulds did that every year, he'd be a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Clearly, Moulds was most consistent with Bledsoe throwing the ball his way. No other quarterback that Moulds has played with has been able to distribute him the ball in such a prolific way.
The one team that Dallas might have to compete with to sign Moulds would definitely be the Philadelphia Eagles. With Owens definitely out of the picture, the Eagles desperately need another receiver to make their offense legitimate again. How are they supposed to win with the likes of Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, and Greg Lewis? As we saw last year, they can't. Quarterback Donovan McNabb needs the kind of consistent target that will get the job done, and keep his mouth shut at the same time. Moulds would definitely be that guy.
All this talk of Moulds in Dallas or Philadelphia hinges on the Bills releasing him. According to Buffalo's GM, Marv Levy, the team is going to do everything in its power to retain Moulds. However, since Moulds has already restructured his contract on multiple occasions for the Bills' organization, there is plenty of doubt regarding whether or not he will be prepared to go through that once again. I definitely have my doubts. With Moulds getting up there in years, why would he want to risk staying in Buffalo? Are they going to win or compete for a Super Bowl in the next couple of years? Probably not. He needs to go to a place where he has a legitimate chance of winning a Lombardi trophy. Dallas can be that place.
64-year old Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells' contract expires at the conclusion of the 2007 season. That means he has two more chances to win his third Super Bowl and make himself an even bigger legend in the coaching world. With health problems and fatigue taking their toll, Parcells probably will be done coaching when that contract expires. Does he need the headache that comes with a guy like Terrell Owens? The answer to that is certainly no.
Moulds can come in and be a calming influence, while helping to lead the Cowboys' younger players. Don't discount the fact that Moulds would be teaming up with fellow class of '96 receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Terry Glenn. The addition of Moulds would give Dallas the best veteran receiving trio in the NFL.
Do the Cowboys want to win an NFL record sixth Super Bowl title in 2006? Of course they do. Without question, Moulds would be a key ingredient. Dallas appears to be just a few pieces from being a real contender for a championship. Acquiring Moulds just might put them over the top.
Cowboys should pursue Moulds
By Connor Byrne ; 02/16/06
With all of this speculation circulating about the Dallas Cowboys being a possible suitor for Terrell Owens, one has to wonder, aren't there other proven receivers that "America's Team" can go after? The answer to that is definitely yes. One of them happens to have a connection to Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
The receiver that I'm speaking of is veteran Bills wide-out Eric Moulds. In his decade-long career in Buffalo, Moulds has consistently been one of the league's elite pass-catchers. One has to wonder how great he could have been had he been catching balls from the same quarterback on a regular basis. Instead Moulds was forced to deal with the likes of Todd Collins, Alex Van Pelt, Rob Johnson, and J.P. Losman. With solid veterans like Doug Flutie, Kelly Holcomb, and Drew Bledsoe at the helm, Moulds flourished.
In his time as one of the best receivers in Bills history, Moulds has compiled 675 receptions and 48 touchdowns. The 32-year old has been among the most physical of NFL receivers throughout his career. He went from being a spoiled, immature player at Mississippi State, to one of the Bills' best leaders, despite some problems with ex-head coach Mike Mularkey, and Losman, the Bills' 24-year old quarterback.
Now, it appears that Moulds' illustrious career in Buffalo has reached a halt. Moulds is scheduled to count somewhere between 10 and11 million dollars against the Bills' salary cap in 2006. Obviously, the Bills--nor anyone else--can afford that type of salary. With a possible release looming, the best fit for Moulds nowadays is the Cowboys. He would likely cost Dallas somewhere between 3-5 million dollars per year. That's certainly economical for one of the game's elite.
Why Dallas? It's simple. They need another solid target in the receiving game, and Moulds has a solid relationship with the aforementioned Bledsoe. In his three years catching passes from Bledsoe, Moulds pulled in 252 balls for 3,110 yards. If you do the math, that equates to about 84 receptions and 1,037 yards per season. If Moulds did that every year, he'd be a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Clearly, Moulds was most consistent with Bledsoe throwing the ball his way. No other quarterback that Moulds has played with has been able to distribute him the ball in such a prolific way.
The one team that Dallas might have to compete with to sign Moulds would definitely be the Philadelphia Eagles. With Owens definitely out of the picture, the Eagles desperately need another receiver to make their offense legitimate again. How are they supposed to win with the likes of Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, and Greg Lewis? As we saw last year, they can't. Quarterback Donovan McNabb needs the kind of consistent target that will get the job done, and keep his mouth shut at the same time. Moulds would definitely be that guy.
All this talk of Moulds in Dallas or Philadelphia hinges on the Bills releasing him. According to Buffalo's GM, Marv Levy, the team is going to do everything in its power to retain Moulds. However, since Moulds has already restructured his contract on multiple occasions for the Bills' organization, there is plenty of doubt regarding whether or not he will be prepared to go through that once again. I definitely have my doubts. With Moulds getting up there in years, why would he want to risk staying in Buffalo? Are they going to win or compete for a Super Bowl in the next couple of years? Probably not. He needs to go to a place where he has a legitimate chance of winning a Lombardi trophy. Dallas can be that place.
64-year old Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells' contract expires at the conclusion of the 2007 season. That means he has two more chances to win his third Super Bowl and make himself an even bigger legend in the coaching world. With health problems and fatigue taking their toll, Parcells probably will be done coaching when that contract expires. Does he need the headache that comes with a guy like Terrell Owens? The answer to that is certainly no.
Moulds can come in and be a calming influence, while helping to lead the Cowboys' younger players. Don't discount the fact that Moulds would be teaming up with fellow class of '96 receivers Keyshawn Johnson and Terry Glenn. The addition of Moulds would give Dallas the best veteran receiving trio in the NFL.
Do the Cowboys want to win an NFL record sixth Super Bowl title in 2006? Of course they do. Without question, Moulds would be a key ingredient. Dallas appears to be just a few pieces from being a real contender for a championship. Acquiring Moulds just might put them over the top.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:26 AM
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