Texans match offer sheet to FB Leach

Mar 26, 2007 - 10:23 PM HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Texans cut ties with quarterback David Carr and running back Domanick Williams. But they did not let fullback Vonta Leach get away.

The Texans on Monday matched a four-year, $8 million offer sheet tendered to Leach by the New York Giants.

The deadline was midnight Monday for the Texans to match the offer.

Leach, 25, started five of 11 games with Houston last season. He was the primary blocker during the last month when the Texans improved their rushing total from 96.2 yards per game to 125.2.

Last Friday, the Texans waived Carr and Williams. The release of Carr came a day after Houston acquired quarterback Matt Schaub from the Atlanta Falcons

Carr was Houston's quarterback since the team's inception in 2002, passing for 13,391 yards and 59 touchdowns. But he was sacked 249 times in just 76 games.

Williams, formerly known as Domanick Davis, ran for a franchise-record 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns in parts of three seasons with the Texans. He rushed for career highs of 1,188 yards and 13 TDs in 2004 but missed the entire 2006 campaign with a knee injury.