It’s been rumored for quite some time now that Seattle has a significant interest in acquiring embattled Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, and while the Seahawks would seem on paper to not have the space or financial flexibility to make such a move, things are beginning to shape up in that direction.
According to NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora, the Seahawks are making a major push as we speak to move wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh elsewhere in an attempt to gain enough room to complete a deal with San Diego for Jackson.
Houshmandzadeh was productive in first year in Seattle last season, but his struggles thus far in the pre-season have opened the door to the team looking at releasing him at the cutdown deadline this Saturday. He’s not seen as being a good fit for the new offense installed by first year offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.
If they can find a decent trade offer for Houshmandzadeh’s services, a deal to obtain Jackson could come about shortly thereafter, as the Seahawks would have a definite need at that point for a quality receiver. The Chargers have reportedly asked for a 2nd round pick in the next draft and a third round pick two years from now.
This one falls into the speculative at best category, but it’s interesting nonetheless, which is why we’re posting here for your reading enjoyment.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, one team that is likely to show significant interest in acquiring wide receiver Vincent Jackson before the season begins is St. Louis, as both Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton are gone from the team rehabbing serious knee injuries.
Finding a consistent playmaker at receiver for rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has to be a major priority for the Rams right now, and even though Jackson would have to sit out the first three games of the season thanks to his suspension by the league, having him in the fold would be a big help for Bradford’s chances of success as the season progresses.
Acee also mentioned that Seattle’s not the only team to have called the Chargers about the availability of Jackson, but for the time being, the Seahawks are the only team that seems to have gotten past the front door.
In spite of having a definite need for a change of pace running back in their offense, the Rams announced earlier tonight that negotiations between the club and former Eagles rusher Brian Westbrook are not close, and the two sides have not talked in several days.
St. Louis is still thought to be in the lead for Westbrook’s services, and while they could theoretically sign him as early as Monday, it’s more likely that the Rams will bide their time and consummate a deal on their terms.
Westbrook played in just eight games last season after suffering a knee injury early on and a concussion late in the season. If he can stay healthy, he should be a welcome weapon in St. Louis, given the lack of talent on offense the team has had in recent years.
Earlier in the month, longtime Philadelphia running back Brian Westbrook was drawing interest from the Packers, but clearly discussions with Green Bay did not go as far as expected, seeing that he remains unemployed. That said, it appears another team has stepped up to the plate and expressed a desire to add him.
Westbrook is now visiting with the Rams, who, despite already having a star runner in Steven Jackson, are in search of a veteran backup. At 30 years old and coming off a season of multiple injuries, Westbrook is not expected to make large contributions, but is certainly getting some consideration from the Rams organization, who first invited him into their complex on Saturday.
One notable connection that can be made between Westbrook and the Rams is the fact that the RB worked with former Eagle staff members Steve Spagnuolo and Pat Shurmur, both of whom currently work for St. Louis. Though a contract is likely to be finalized within the next few days, according to several sports networks, Westbrook must first pass a physical exam–something that many believe he will be unable to do with all of the recent injuries he’s sustained.
Surprise surprise… St. Louis finally gets a franchise quarterback and while they’ll still struggle next season, having a solid QB in the fold for the next 10 years at the very least is a tremendous advantage.
Here’s a few highlights for you’re viewing pleasure.
It’s been rumored for some time now that Cleveland is extremely interested in trading up to the #1 overall pick to get quarterback Sam Bradford, but with the price to do that being extraordinarily steep, it’s not likely a deal will get done on that front this evening.
According to ESPN’s Michael Smith, the Browns have been working the phone lines all afternoon and just got off the line with St. Louis with their final offer to move up. Apparently it didn’t work because the Rams are set to be on the clock momentarily.
As always, we’ll keep you posted if anything does go down.
Over the past few years, trading up to the #1 overall pick has become a fleeting ghost of history, with teams being extremely reluctant to part with the compensation package needed to move that high in the draft.
But that hasn’t stopped teams from discussing potential trades involving the top selection, and this year is no exception, with the Redskins reportedly pushing hard to switch spots with the Rams tonight to take Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.
Citing several sources around the league, NFL Fanhouse’s Dan Graziano is reporting that Washington is making a late push this morning to convince St. Louis to give up their stranglehold on the #1 pick. Apparently, the Redskins are using multiple players already on their roster to entice the Rams into the trade, with the most likely candidates for such a deal being quarterback Jason Campbell and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
Giving up both players along with the #4 overall selection would definitely be a steep price to pay for Washington, but considering the fact that they’re already on the trading block anyway, it wouldn’t be all that much to stomach from the Redskins point of view.
St. Louis has been quietly shopping defensive end and former first round pick Adam Carriker throughout the majority of the off-season, and while they weren’t able to receive the return they would have initially liked, the Rams finally decided to move Carriker earlier this afternoon.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Redskins have acquired Carriker from St. Louis, in exchange for agreeing to swap fifth round selections in this year’s draft. The move pushes the Rams up 28 spots in the fifth round, from #163 to #135 overall, and allows them to be free of a player widely considered to be a major disappointment during his three year tenure with the club.
There have been reports making their way around the league as of late, indicating that the potential majority owner of the Rams, Stan Kroenke, has his sights set on moving the team out of St. Louis and back to their original home in Los Angeles.
Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat dropped in this morning with a intriguing piece, outlining Kroenke’s significant interest in bringing the NFL back to the country’s second largest market. Apparently, Kroenke is a major player in the league’s Los Angeles Stadium Working Group.
In and of itself, that revelation doesn’t necessarily mean Kroenke would automatically run the Rams out of town, but it certainly makes his bid to take sole ownership of the club much more interesting. Having the Rams move back to L.A. would certainly be more appealing to Kroenke, financially speaking, than keeping them in St. Louis, where they’re always playing second fiddle to Major League Baseball.
That said, Kroenke also has significant reason to keep the team in St. Louis, in that he’s a Columbia, MO native, a University of Missouri graduate, and has strong ties to the area courtesy of his wife, Anne, who is the daughter of Bud Walton, of Wal-Mart fame.
When Cleveland team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert spoke with the media earlier this morning, more than a few interesting notes came out, including the revelation that the Browns have been talking to the Rams front office about potentially moving up in the draft next week to the #1 overall spot.
Heckert wouldn’t go much farther than that, saying “we’re playing a little phone tag,” but he did indicate that if Cleveland did make a deal to move up that high, they’d be doing so to get quarterback Sam Bradford.
Holmgren gave a dose of reality to the topic:
“He’s a coveted young man. You’d have to mortgage the ranch. In the real world, we’re probably going to go in a different direction.”
Just one day removed from the not so shocking revelation by Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid, that the Eagles are listening to offers for All-Pro quarterback Donovan McNabb, the first offer has apparently hit the table, and it’s a big one.
According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Rams have offered up restricted free agent safety Oshiomoho Atogwe and St. Louis’ second round pick (#33 overall) in this year’s draft in exchange for McNabb. The deal is still being considered at this point by the Eagles, but McLane feels that an agreement could be in place between the two clubs as soon as tonight, if Philadelphia decides to go with Kevin Kolb as their starter next season.
For his part, McNabb has been quiet on the issue of being traded this off-season, and while he has made it fairly clear that he would prefer to finish his career with a championship caliber team, his familiarity with several key members of the Rams coaching staff could sway his opinion and convince McNabb to sign an extension should a trade be finalized. St. Louis offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and head coach Steve Spagnuolo were both assistants under Reid with the Eagles during McNabb’s tenure there.
As always, we’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
