With the NFL Draft five weeks away, the Redskins continue to explore scenarios in which they trade down using the No. 6 pick.
Team officials expect that serious trade offers won't come until draft day, though.
Vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, who along with head coach Joe Gibbs, assistant coaches and scouts helps craft the Redskins' draft strategy, expects the team will end up using the sixth overall pick.
"[An elite player] has to be available at six for somebody to want to trade up," Cerrato said during an interview with Redskins.com TV's Larry Michael this week. "They'll want to see how [the draft] unfolds. So we may get a lot of calls, or we may get no calls. Starting with the fourth pick, teams will probably call us and let us know.
"I anticipate that there won't be a lot of calls. I think we'll be picking six. We'd love to trade back and get extra picks, but I think we'll be picking six."
The Redskins currently have a first-round pick at No. 6 overall, but then do not pick again until the fifth round. The team also has selections in the sixth and seventh rounds, and could garner another sixth-rounder should the Adam Archuleta trade with the Chicago Bears go through.
The Redskins are interested in trading down so that the team can acquire a second- or third-round pick.
The dynamic of the NFL Draft changed this week due to a trade between the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.
The Falcons sent quarterback Matt Schaub to the Texans in exchange for second-round picks in the 2007 and 2008 drafts. In addition, Atlanta and Houston are switching positions in the first round--meaning that the Falcons now pick eighth and the Texans now pick 10th.
The Falcons may have the extra picks to maneuver a trade higher up the draft board--with the Redskins being a potential partner. The Miami Dolphins, at No. 9 overall, may also be a candidate to trade up, depending on their needs and who is available.
"Most trades nowadays will be on draft day," Cerrato said. "You'll call teams and say you want to trade up or you want to trade back, but teams want to wait until they're on the clock so they know who is available."
For the third year in a row, the Redskins are expected to host a Rookie Camp a week after the NFL Draft, Cerrato said.
The team will bring in the rookie draft picks for some work, as well as about 80 undrafted rookies who will attend the camp on a tryout basis.
"With that many players, you'll hit on a couple guys," Cerrato said. "Last year, we ended up keeping four on the practice squad--[wide receiver] Mike Espy was like that. So that's another way to get players, guys on the start that no one has signed after the draft."
