Jaguars land LB Morrison in trade with Raiders

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The Jacksonville Jaguars desperately wanted a middle linebacker in the NFL draft. They had to trade to get one, and ended up with an established starter.

A day after failing to land Penn State linebacker Sean Lee(notes) in the second round, the Jaguars traded a fourth-round pick (No. 108) to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Kirk Morrison(notes) and a fifth-rounder (No. 153) Saturday.

Morrison, who led Oakland in tackles the past four seasons, became expendable when the Raiders drafted Alabama star Rolando McClain(notes) in the first round Thursday.

Morrison is expected to step right into the middle of Jacksonville?s revamped defense, allowing Daryl Smith(notes) and Justin Durant(notes) to play outside and probably sending Clint Ingram(notes) to the bench.

Morrison recently signed his restricted free agent tender and is due $2.51 million this season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2011.

The deal is the latest in an aggressive plan to retool a defense that ranked 23rd in the league last season and finished with a franchise-low and NFL-worst 14 sacks.

Jacksonville signed free agent defensive end Aaron Kampman(notes), released aging lineman Rob Meier(notes) and traded underachieving end Quentin Groves(notes). The draft brought even more activity along the defensive front, with the Jags selected Tyson Alualu(notes) in the first round and D?Anthony Smith(notes) in the third.

Many draft analysts and fans considered those picks reaches. But Morrison is much more of a known commodity. A third-round pick from San Diego State in 2005, Morrison has started 79 of 80 games in five seasons. He has 621 tackles, six forced fumbles and five sacks.

The Jags tried to trade up to get Lee on Friday. They spoke with Philadelphia about packaging some picks in exchange for the 55th overall selection. But the Eagles ended up trading with NFC East rival Dallas, who took Lee at that spot.

General manager Gene Smith then turned his attention to Morrison. It was the second draft this week with Oakland. The Jaguars received a fifth-rounder from the Raiders on Wednesday in exchange for Groves.

Jacksonville now has three picks in the fifth and two in the sixth.

 

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Titans trade LenDale White on Day 3 of NFL draft


Time to draft and time to trade.


The final day of the NFL draft began with St. Louis further bolstering its anemic offense by taking wide receiver Mardy Gilyard of Cincinnati. Moments later, the Tennessee Titans dealt LenDale White(notes) to Seattle, reuniting him with his college coach, Pete Carroll.

Soon after, the Oakland Raiders sent their starting middle linebacker, Kirk Morrison(notes), to Jacksonville as the bartering got heavy in Round 4.

New Seahawks coach Carroll dealt for one of his mainstays at Southern California, getting White from the Titans for Seattle?s fourth-rounder and sixth-rounder. The Seahawks also received defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson(notes), and the Titans selected UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner with the spot acquired in the deal.

The burly and bruising White helped Carroll win a national championship with the Trojans. But he lost his starting job to Chris Johnson in 2009.

Oakland selected one of the draft?s fastest players, wideout Jacoby Ford of Clemson, with the pick acquired from the Jaguars. After drafting Rolando McClain(notes) in the first round to take over at middle linebacker, Morrison became expendable despite leading the Raiders in tackles the past four seasons.

St. Louis made quarterback Sam Bradford(notes) the first overall selection Thursday night and began the second round Friday by choosing offensive lineman Rodger Saffold(notes) from Indiana.

Gilyard was pick No. 99 overall and one of the most high-profile players still available. He should help the Rams on kick returns, too.

In another deal, the New York Jets moved up to Carolina?s spot to draft USC?s Joe McKnight, further loading up the team?s backfield. The Jets have last year?s playoff sensation as a rookie, Shonn Greene(notes); LaDainian Tomlinson(notes), who they signed after San Diego released the veteran star; and versatile Leon Washington(notes), who is returning from a serious leg injury.

All-American tight end Aaron Hernandez of Florida went to New England, the second tight end chosen by the Patriots.

The first Ohio State player chosen was linebacker Thaddeus Gibson, 116th overall by Pittsburgh.

 

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Raiders acquired Jason Campbell from the Redskins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2012.


Per Redskins beat writer Rick Maese, Campbell already has a deal worked out with Al Davis that will pay him $3.14 million this year and $4.5 million in 2011.

Campbell may have to "earn" the job by beating out JaMarcus Russell, but it won't be a competition. Campbell is a much better passer than either Russell or Bruce Gradkowski, so Zach Miller and Chaz Schilens .

 

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Jets trade RB Washington to Seahawks


New Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is rebuilding a broken stable of running backs through trades for veterans?ones with issues.

Seattle acquired recuperating running back Leon Washington(notes) and a seventh-round draft choice from the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick in Saturday?s draft.

Earlier Saturday, Carroll traded with Tennessee to get his former Southern California running back, LenDale White(notes), a burly, fading star who lost his Titans job last season to record-setting runner Chris Johnson. That deal also included draft picks.


?Can we get something done in here?? Carroll joked inside team headquarters Saturday during a rare, 15-minute lull in an otherwise frenzied morning for him and his Seahawks.

?Just a great one-two punch to add to our team,? Carroll said of his new runners. ?We?re real excited about Leon Washington. Our guys loved him.?

Carroll has said his primary mission to resurrect the fallen Seahawks was through increasing competition at every position.

Running back is a great place to start.

Veteran Julius Jones(notes) led the Seahawks last season with just 663 yards rushing. By the end of the year, 2008 seventh-round pick Justin Forsett(notes) had supplanted Jones as Seattle?s preferred runner and pass receiver out of the backfield.

One of both of them may be out with the additions of White and the versatile Washington.

Washington, who has a rod in his right leg that was broken in a grotesque injury six months ago, came into the league with White in 2006.

?Honestly, I was stoked,? Washington said by telephone from New York when asked for his reaction of the trade.

He heard the news while running errands for his wife before an afternoon fishing outing off the coast of Long Island with former Jets tight end Chris Baker?who is now suddenly Washington?s teammate again with the Seahawks.

Washington was popular in New York but is still recovering from the broken right leg. The former Pro Bowl kick returner became expendable after the Jets signed LaDainian Tomlinson(notes), and even more so when New York traded up in the fourth round earlier Saturday and drafted USC running back Joe McKnight.

Washington suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula at Oakland on Oct. 25 and missed the rest of the season. The injury required a metal rod to be inserted into the tibia.

?That?s going to be in there forever. At least I know I can?t break that leg again,? he said.

Many speculated about whether he?d be able to fully recover or even play again. Yet after training at the Athletes? Performance Institute in Pensacola, Fla., he said he?s been running for three weeks and ?it?s going great. I?m right on track.?

He thinks he?ll be ready for training camp in late July.

When healthy, Washington has been one of the league?s more dynamic players, as a kick returner and running back.

The fourth-round pick in 2006 received a second-round tender last month from the Jets worth $1.759 million. That has him in line for a subsequent multiyear contract, perhaps from the Seahawks if he recovers and returns to his former All-Pro form this season.

Washington has run for 1,782 career yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 123 passes for 969 yards and two scores since coming out of Florida State in 2006. He has also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns, including three in 2007.

The All-Pro as a kick returner for the 2008 season made $535,000 in the final year of his rookie deal, and was believed to have been looking for something in the range of $5 million to $6 million a year in a long-term deal from the Jets.

Then came the injury. That put his future in jeopardy, and now he has a chance in Seattle.

?It?s a great opportunity,? he said. ?I?m just excited.?