[CHRON] New Texan Moulds is teaching Johnson a few tricks

This is a pretty good article that makes me even more excited about next season.

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/3945792.html

By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyight 2006 Houston Chronicle

When it was Eric Moulds' turn to run a route with the offense in practice last week, he nudged Andre Johnson.

"Hey man, watch me and let me know if I'm doing anything wrong," Moulds said.


Johnson watched his fellow starter, and for a moment it was as if Moulds was your typical No. 2 receiver.

The Texans acquired anything but a typical No. 2 man when they made a trade with the Buffalo Bills in April to bring Moulds to Houston. They were looking for a legitimate threat to help take defensive pressure off of Johnson, but they landed much more with Moulds.

"He's as important as any player we've brought in since I've been here," quarterback David Carr said.

Overshadowed by the four-month hoopla leading up to the NFL draft, Moulds was the prize of the Texans' offseason.

Even though he will turn 33 years old next month, Moulds didn't move south to prepare for retirement. His body does love the Houston heat, but the 10-year NFL veteran and four-time Pro Bowler arrived in Houston with a different agenda.

Moulds wanted to team up with Johnson to create a potent pair on the field, and help turn around a franchise that has yet to experience a winning season. On paper, the two Pro Bowl receivers

look formidable. But Moulds' experience has taught him credentials can be overrated.

That's why he has been with the Texans through their offseason program and in each of their voluntary practices.

He's become joined at the hip with Johnson, who reached the Pro Bowl in his second season but never has had a veteran receiver around to challenge him.

"(Moulds) is a great example to these young guys because he's been doing it forever," coach Gary Kubiak said. "He's a Hall of Fame football player, and They watch him go about his business, and they realize, 'Hey, this is how you do things.'

"He's been great for Andre too. Andre needs somebody like that that he can watch every day.

"I think we forget sometimes that Andre is still a very young man."

Johnson, 25, has been the Texans' No. 1 receiver since he was drafted with the third overall pick in 2003. The next season Johnson recorded his only 1,000-yard receiving season (1,142 yards), and was selected over Moulds (1,043 yards) for the 2004 Pro Bowl.

Instead of being arriving bitter, Moulds has embraced the opportunity to work with Johnson. He wants to make sure Johnson's first trip to the Pro Bowl isn't his last.

"When he first came here on a visit, I was like, 'What are you waiting on?' " said Johnson, who turns 26 next month. "I was really excited about having him as a teammate.

"Once he came here, we just hit it off," Johnson said. "He's always cracking jokes, and I'm more of the quiet guy, but he brings it out of me. He's a great dude. He's helping you learn, and learning things from you."

Moulds said there is more he can learn from up-and-comers such as Johnson. He also realizes he has plenty to teach.

When Moulds was playing at Mississippi State, Jerry Rice used to visit its facilities in the offseason. It was the mid-1990s, and Rice — a former star at Mississippi Valley State — was deep into a Hall of Fame career. Moulds watched and listened to everything Rice did and said.

He credits Rice's advice for helping him reach his 11th NFL season with no plans of retiring soon.

"I learned a long time ago from Jerry Rice that the harder you work in the offseason, the easier it'll be in the season," Moulds said. "That's what I'm trying to teach Andre. The harder you work now, it'll be a cakewalk when the season starts. If you keep yourself in shape, you can play as long as you want."

Receivers coach Kyle Shanahan said Moulds is taking that lesson onto the field.

"It's good when you have a guy who knows what he's doing, so the coach doesn't always have to talk and coach all the time," Shanahan said. "He's a good example. He shows what you're trying to teach. Guys watch him. They can hear me, and they learn a lot from him."

The Texans hope that translates into improved numbers on the field. Last year, they ranked 30th out of 32 teams in passing offense. Johnson, who missed three starts because of injuries, finished with a career-low 688 receiving yards and scored just two touchdowns.

Johnson said he has embraced Moulds' plan.

"When I heard he was going to be my teammate, I thought, 'Wow, to have two big guys line up across from each other — that could be a great thing,' " Johnson said. "We just sit around and talk about how we can't wait to start playing some games."