Is Al Wilson On The Block??

Where there's smoke, there's fire.  I guess you can call that my motto, becuase for the past couple of weeks I've written it about 10 times.  After the Broncos acquired Dre Bly from Detroit word leaked that Matt Millen was hot and heavy over having Al Wilson included in the deal.  The Broncos refused, and message board's went crazy with speculation that the Broncos would even consider trading their defensive leader.  At the time, I thought little of it, though I do believe any team that misses the playoffs should look at ALL possibilities to get better, that no one on the roster should feel safe.

Now comes our buddy Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post who reports the Broncos actually dangled Wilson to the Redskins in a deal that would have, at it's core, netted the Broncos the #6 pick in the draft.  That's two teams involving the same player in the past 5 days.  Like I said, where there's smoke, there's fire.

La Canfora's article continues on that the Redskins are still pursuing CB Dre Bly, even after the Broncos are telling anyone that will listen that they are expecting Bly to "See The Light" when it comes to playing in Denver next season.  Says La Canfora --

The Broncos and Redskins have been discussing trade possibilities since before the combine last month, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, with Denver coveting Washington's sixth overall pick and the Redskins looking to trade down and reacquire a second- and third- round pick, which were dealt away (the Broncos have the Redskins' third-round selection from the T.J. Duckett trade).

Denver tried to get running back Ladell Betts in the deal, according to sources, but Coach Joe Gibbs has been intent on pairing Betts and Clinton Portis in the backfield next season.

The Redskins were offering veteran cornerback Shawn Springs for Bly, but those talks stalled when Washington asked for additional cap relief to offset Spring's $7.5 million cap charge and Denver declined, sources said. Last month, the Broncos made a proposal involving middle linebacker Al Wilson, their first-round pick (21st overall), a third-round pick and perhaps a second-round pick to land Washington's sixth-overall pick, according to a source, but the Redskins preferred Fletcher, who was their prime objective in free agency.

Should Denver be willing to essentially replace Wilson with Bly in trade talks, the potential for a deal could be high. Also, the Broncos could still make a play for Springs, whom Washington asked to take a $2 million pay cut, or the Redskins could attempt to trade Springs for draft picks if they acquired Bly.

The Broncos and Redskins are no strangers to off-season deals, and the prospects of teh two teams getting together again seem high.  The questions remains, with all the moves the team has made, and all money that hasa been spent, are the Broncos looking to part with a major part of their team, and major chunk of their salary cap, as part of the renovation.  No word has come from the Wilson camp, though heearing your name repeatedly mentioned in trade talks can't do much for you confidence in the team.

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