Redskins, Jets nearing Coles-for-Moss trade

INDIANAPOLIS -- Laveranues Coles may be returning to the New York Jets.

NFL sources at this week's scouting combine said the Jets and Washington are close to a deal that would send the unhappy receiver back to New York for wideout Santana Moss.

No announcement is expected before March 2, with one league source cautioning that the two sides are hammering out terms of a trade and that no agreement has been reached.

"But my understanding," he said, "is that this is a real possibility."

The deal would make sense. Though he led the Redskins in receptions in 2004, Coles was unhappy with his role in the Washington offense and recently declined to renegotiate his contract. Moss, who led New York's receivers with five touchdown catches, is entering the last year of his contract and almost surely will command a large salary.

Laveranues Coles led the Redskins with 90 receptions last season. (Getty Images)

Moss' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, recently expressed an interest in obtaining a luctractive contract extension for the former first-round pick this offseason. But the Jets are more interested in obtaining Coles, an AFC personnel director said, because they believe he's a better receiver.

Moss, who caught a career high 74 passes in 2003 for 1105 yards and 10 touchdowns, is scheduled to earn $448,000 in base pay this year.

Jets' coach Herman Edwards declined to comment Friday morning.

"It's all talk," he said. "(Coles) is under contract so I'll leave that alone."

Coles led the Jets in receiving in 2002 but left when Washington offered a seven-year, $35 million that included a $13 million signing bonus. The Redskins have been working on a deal that reportedly includes Coles' agreement to waive the final installment of his signing bonus -- $5 million -- which is due April 1 -- in return for a trade, with his new team assuming the unpaid portion of the bonus.

However, sources said the Jets will not agree to a deal that includes the assumption of the bonus, and that for the trade to go through Washington would have to pay the remaining sum. They also said the Redskins seem willing to pay it.

While Coles led the Redskins with 90 catches last season, he had only 950 yards in receptions and only three catches for more than 22 yards. Coles was frustrated with the team's offense, and coach Joe Gibbs was frustrated with Coles' attitude.

In addition, the club wished he had undergone surgery on a right big toe that he fractured three weeks into the 2003 season. Since the injury he averaged only 11.8 yards a catch, and his only touchdown last year came on a trick play when halfback Clinton Portis threw him a pass.