Giants sign Herman Moore

NEW YORK, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- With three wide receivers already out of action, the New York Giants lured Herman Moore out of retirement Wednesday.

Moore, who holds the single-season record with 123 receptions in 1995, signed a one-year contract with the Giants.

Financial terms were not disclosed, although there were reports he would earn $308,823, a prorated portion of the veteran minimum of $750,000.

Moore, 33, was one of several receivers who worked out for the Giants. They are down to two healthy wideouts after losing Ron Dixon and Tim Carter to injuries in Sunday's 27-20 win at Minnesota.

"It's going to be exciting, it's going to be fun," Moore said. "Hopefully, I can contribute to the team and bring them what they are missing at this point, which is a fresh body."

The Giants also signed wide receiver Tony Simmons and placed Carter on injured reserve. Guard Dusty Zeigler, the most experienced member of the offensive line, also was placed on IR.

Moore spent the first 11 years of his career with the Detroit Lions and had 670 receptions for 9,174 yards and 62 touchdowns in 145 games. But he was released in July for salary cap purposes after three injury-plagued seasons in which he had just 60 catches in 26 games.

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought in Moore for a workout just before training camp but decided to sign Terance Mathis instead.

A four-time Pro Bowler, Moore never filed retirement papers with the league but recently was passed over by the Miami Dolphins, who brought Cris Carter out of retirement.

"I think a lot of people thought that I had retired and that I wasn't playing anymore," said Moore, who owns 25 coffee houses and pastry shops. "But I'm in fairly decent shape."

A 1991 first-round draft pick, Moore averaged 111 catches for 1,425 yards from 1995-97.

"He has caught a lot of balls and made an impact in this league," Giants quarterback Kerry Collins said. "I was excited. I didn't know there was a guy like that out there that has been around that long and has that much experience."

Amani Toomer is New York's leading receiver with 39 receptions. The Giants lost No. 2 receiver Ike Hilliard for the rest of the season with a dislocated shoulder suffered Oct. 28 at Philadelphia.

Dixon will miss at least two weeks with a sprained ankle and Carter is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

Rookie Daryl Jones, a seventh-round pick out of Miami, is New York's new starting flanker, and running back Sean Bennett has been converted to receiver.

Zeigler, New York's starting center the last two years, missed all of training camp and the first five games of the season after undergoing right knee surgery. He returned for two games but experienced pain and swelling in his knee and had been inactive the last two weeks.