St. Louis Rams Deal Adam Carriker To Washington For a 5th

ESPN is reporting that the St. Louis Rams have traded Adam Carriker to the Washington Redskins for a 5th round pick.  Carriker was the 13th overall selection in the 1st round of the 2007 draft.  Carriker missed all of 2009 with a shoulder injury.  Carriker will be reunited with former Ram DC and Interim Head Coach Jim Hasslet, who is the new defensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins.

Reports on the compensation are sketchy and contradictory at this time.  The first reports indicated that Washington traded a 5th round pick originally belonging to the Eagles for Carriker.  This is impossible, as the Rams already own the Eagles' 5th round pick in 2010.  Subsequent reports maintain that the Rams swapped 5th rounders with the Redskins, upgrading one of their 5th round picks from No. 163 to No. 135.

Whatever the case may be, this is precious little compensation for a former 1st rounder who carries no legal baggage.  This move looks suspiciously like a contract dump.  In trading Carriker, the Rams will unload a former 1st rounder's paycheck.

The trade is no surprise.  It has been rumored for several weeks now by Adam Schefter (ESPN) and Jason La Canfora (NFL Network).  Carriker is considered a natural 5-technique by Mike Mayock, chief draft scout for NFL Films.  The 5-Technique is the defensive end in 3-4 scheme.  The Rams have been playing him out-of-position throughout his career in St. Louis.  In Washington, Carriker will have his first shot at playing defensive end in the NFL.

Don't be surprised if Carriker shines.  The Rams have a lamentable history of releasing, trading and not signing 1st Round defensive linemen.  Sean Gilbert, Kevin Carter, Jimmy Kennedy, Ryan Pickett, and Damione Lewis are a few of the others.  Most of those players have shined or blossomed after leaving the Rams.

A cash-dump of this type has fueled speculation, led my ESPN blogger Mike Sando, that the Rams are financially crippled by their current ownership uncertainties.