Rams ship DT Carriker to Redskins, move up in fifth round of draft

The St. Louis Rams traded defensive tackle Adam Carriker, who has been hampered by injuries and position switches, to the Washington Redskins on Tuesday to move up in the fifth round in this week's NFL draft.

The Redskins said they sent the 135th overall draft pick to the Rams in exchange for Carriker and the 163rd selection. The team also swapped seventh-round picks, with the Redskins now 208th and the Rams 211th.

Carriker was a first-round pick (13th overall) by the Rams in 2007, but he missed the 2009 season because of a shoulder injury. He will be reunited with Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, a former Rams coach.

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"Adam is a guy who our staff is very familiar with," Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said in a statement released by the team. "He is talented and has an incredible work ethic. We feel he will fit in our scheme and will help us reach our defensive goals."

Devaney said the Redskins had tried to acquire Carriker for a while.

"The signings we've made the past couple of weeks we thought, you know what, this might be the right time to do it," Devaney said. "Right now, it seems like we've got a little bit of depth. I hope we do."

The Rams are expected to re-sign backup Gary Gibson to augment a defensive-line group headed by Clifton Ryan, Fred Robbins and Darell Scott.

Carriker was a defensive end at Nebraska, where he was the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He played tackle in a 4-3 alignment with the Rams, but he'll likely move outside in the Redskins' 3-4 scheme.

"He's never complained, and we used him in multiple positions," Devaney said. "He did the best he could, but it hasn't been a great scheme for him."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.