BUFFALO (March 2, 2006) -- Veteran receiver Eric Moulds ' future with the Buffalo Bills became more uncertain after he rejected the team's second request this week to take a pay cut.
"This thing is going nowhere," Moulds' personal adviser, Greg Johnson, told The Associated Press after he and the player's agent, Harry Henderson, held talks with the Bills. "The dollars they're presenting at this particular time are much too low. We're way too far apart to have an intelligent conversation anymore."
Although Johnson expects the Bills to release Moulds, a move that would save the team about $5.5 million in salary cap space, he's not sure when that would happen.
"I think they're going to cut him, but not any time soon," Johnson said.
The Bills were not immediately available for comment. General manager Marv Levy has previously said he is interested in retaining Moulds, a 10-year veteran and Buffalo's senior player who ranks second on the team in several career receiving categories.
Moulds rejected the team's initial request to accept a pay cut Feb. 27.
Although he didn't provide monetary details of the negotiations, Johnson said the Bills haven't budged from their stance that Moulds accept what he called a significant pay cut.
The Bills were under the salary cap even before the NFL on March 2 pushed back the start of its free agency period to March 6. It was initially scheduled to open on March 3.
Buffalo freed more than $9 million in cap space March 1 by releasing three veterans, including defensive tackle Sam Adams. Those moves mean the team wouldn't have to release Moulds until adding free agents.
Keeping Moulds, who has two years left on his contract and is scheduled to make $10.85 million next season, would hamper the team's ability to address its more significant needs, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines.
Buffalo already has released offensive lineman Mike Williams and is not expected to re-sign veteran center Trey Teague.
On the other side of the ball, the Bills could be missing two starting defensive tackles after cutting Adams and with Ron Edwards becoming a free agent. Edwards started last year before a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4.
Other Bills players eligible to become free agents on March 6 are: Third-string receiver Josh Reed, backup defensive end Ryan Denney, backup defensive tackle Justin Bannan, backup offensive lineman Greg Jerman, long-snapper Mike Schneck and cornerback Kevin Thomas, who missed all last season with a knee injury.
