Lelie, Duckett Get Traded

By The AP

When T.J. Duckett and Ashley Lelie were taken with back-to-back picks in the first round of the NFL draft four years ago, some Atlanta fans wondered why the Falcons went with the bruising runner instead of the speedy receiver.

Well, those folks who believed Lelie was a better fit in Atlanta finally got their wish. And, get this, he's coming to the Falcons in a three-team trade involving Duckett.

The Washington Redskins, eager to acquire another runner for their injury-plagued backfield, wound up with Duckett. The Falcons, in desperate need of a third receiver, landed Lelie. And the Denver Broncos, who just wanted to rid themselves of a troublesome holdout, got a draft pick.

The Broncos received Washington's third-round choice in 2007 as part of Tuesday night's deal, which was confirmed by two officials within the league, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade wasn't to be officially announced until Wednesday.

The Redskins had been shopping for a running back since star Clinton Portis partially dislocated his shoulder in the preseason opener against Cincinnati. He may not be ready for the start of the regular season.

The Falcons, meanwhile, needed a replacement for No. 3 receiver Brian Finneran, who was lost to a season-ending knee injury in the early days of training camp. Lelie was the NFL's leader in yards per catch in 2004, but he held out of training camp this year in hopes of forcing a trade.

In an interesting twist, Duckett and Lelie were involved in the same deal after being taken with consecutive first-round picks in 2002.

The Falcons were criticized for passing over a much-needed receiver to select Duckett at No. 18, especially since Atlanta already signed free-agent running back Warrick Dunn. Lelie went to Denver with the next choice.

Lelie's relationship with the Broncos soured after the team acquired receiver Javon Walker. Lelie refused to report for training camp and was being fined $14,000 a day; it was unclear if he would be required to pay the money before heading to the Falcons.

"It's a win-win situation for everybody," said Peter Schaffer, Lelie's agent.

With Dunn sidelined by a foot injury, Duckett started 10 games in 2003 and led the Falcons with a career-best 779 yards, scoring 11 touchdowns. But Dunn returned to start every game the last two seasons, rushing for more than 1,000 yards each year, and the 254-pound Duckett was relegated mostly to short-yardage situations.

Last season, he gained 380 yards and led Atlanta with eight touchdowns. But with Duckett heading into the final year of his contract, the Falcons used a third-round pick on Mississippi State speedster Jerious Norwood, who now moves up to become Dunn's primary backup.

Running back appeared to be one of Washington's deepest positions heading into training camp.

Portis rushed for a franchise-record 1,516 yards in 2005 -- his third 1,500-yard season in four years -- and led the Redskins to their first playoff berth since 1999. Backup Ladell Betts is a versatile between-the-tackles back who ran for 338 yards in limited action.

But both have been plagued by injuries. Portis hurt his shoulder making a tackle after an interception against the Bengals, and Betts has been limited for much of camp with an ailing hamstring.

Portis began his rehabilitation this week and said he was hopeful of playing in the Sept. 11 opener against Minnesota. Still, he has questioned whether the shoulder would hold up for the entire season because it would be an obvious target for opposing tacklers.

Betts had three carries Saturday against the New York Jets and has been practicing this week, but the latest injury raised questions about his durability. He already missed chunks of time in 2003 with a broken arm and in 2005 with a sprained knee.

At times during training camp, Washington's lead back was Rock Cartwright, who is better known for his special teams play. Duckett is a much better insurance policy for the Redskins, who made their second deal of the preseason in hopes of building a roster that can challenge for the Super Bowl. Last week, receiver Taylor Jacobs was sent to the San Francisco 49ers for cornerback Mike Rumph.

As for the Falcons, who reached the NFC championship game two years ago but slumped to 8-8 in 2005, this was their second three-team deal involving the Broncos. During the offseason, Denver got in on a trade that brought defensive end John Abraham to Atlanta from the New York Jets.

Lelie had his best season in 2004. He started all 16 games, coming up with 54 receptions for 1,084 yards (20.1 per catch) and seven touchdowns. Last season, he made 13 starts and dropped off to 42 catches for 770 yards and one touchdown.

That prompted the Broncos to go after Walker, a deal that left Lelie as the likely No. 3 receiver on a team that also has Rod Smith. Lelie, with one year left on his contract, followed through on his vow to hold out until he was traded.

He got his wish Tuesday, but goes to a team where he's likely to remain the third receiver. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins are the clear-cut starters in Atlanta, though Lelie should get plenty of playing time.

Finneran caught 50 passes last season and was expected to make another big contribution in a backup role until he tore up his left knee during a one-on-one drill less than a week into training camp. No one else on the roster looked capable of taking his place.

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