Vikings rescind waiver move for James, trade him to Washington

By Neal Coolong  |   Wednesday, May 28, 2008  |  Comments( 4 )

Minnesota Vikings
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The Vikings took back their decision to place DE Erasmus James on the waiver wire and traded him to Washington for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2009 draft, the team announced Tuesday.

James, Minnesota's first-round pick in 2005, would not have officially gone on waivers until 4 p.m. ET Tuesday because of the Memorial Day holiday. The Vikings said on May 23 James was going to be waived; but instead, they fielded trade offers for the talented but oft-injured defender. The Vikings will receive the Redskins' seventh-round pick if James plays in one regular-season game in 2008.

Commentary: It looks like the Vikings turned a new page in motivated salesmanship in the NFL. By announcing he was going to go on waivers, they created a marketplace for James with teams further down the waiver priority list, like Washington. The Redskins were 21st in line, meaning, based on last season's records, 20 other teams would have been able to claim James before Washington. It doesn't change the fact he's had three knee surgeries in 13 months, and he failed the Vikings' physical last week; however, it's still not a very big price to pay for a player with loads of talent.

Fantasy Impact: Starting DEs Andre Carter and Phillip Daniels don't have any reason to fear for their jobs, but Washington's defense is good enough already. If James passes a physical set for Wednesday in Washington and finds his way on the field, he could make an impact this season.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one...
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