Even though the Lions and Titans have dropped out of the running, the Redskins remain open to trading Albert Haynesworth and according to Jason Reid of the Washington Post, the Saints have inquired about the defensive tackle.

The Saints have the No. 64 overall pick and it would take at least that selection and possibly one more to acquire Haynesworth from Washington. That said, he has already voiced his displeasure over playing nose tackle in the Redskins’ new 3-4 alignment and the team recently acquired Adam Carriker from the Rams. Thus, maybe the Skins would be willing to take less value for Haynesworth, even though they just forked over $21 million in bonuses earlier this month.

While neither played poorly, the Saints didn’t get a lot of production out of either Tony Hargrove or Sedrick Ellis last season. Ellis is the better pass-rusher while Hargrove is sounder against the run, but neither is the player Haynesworth is. He would instantly upgrade the interior of the Saints’ defensive line and would cause panic for contenders in the NFC that already have a hard enough time keeping up with New Orleans’ potent offense.

The second round will certainly be intriguing.

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ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Redskins have acquired defensive tackle Adam Carriker from the Rams, as both teams swapped fifth and seventh round picks in this week’s draft. Carriker was St. Louis’ first round selection in 2007 at No. 13.

Carriker missed all of last season after having to undergo shoulder surgery in September. But at 25, he still has plenty of potential and is a better fit (on paper at least) than Albert Haynesworth to play in the Redskins’ 3-4 defense. Carriker also played for new Washington defensive coordinator Jim Haslett in St. Louis.

Speaking of Haynesworth, the possibility that he’s dealt over the next couple of days just went up. He wants out of town and if the Redskins are willing to eat some of the guaranteed money that came along with the massive contract they gave him last offseason, there’s no doubt they’ll find a trade partner. Two teams at the top of the draft – Detroit and Tampa – might be suitors for Haynesworth.

This trade could also have an affect on which player the Rams select at No. 1. They have an obvious need at defensive tackle now and seeing as how Ndamukong Suh is the best prospect in the draft, St. Louis might surprise everyone and take him over quarterback Sam Bradford. It still seems unlikely that they will go that route, but the trade of Carriker complicates things.

Of course, this trade could also mean very little in the end. Carriker is a stubbed toe away from missing the entire 2010 season, so Washington might be inclined to hang onto Haynesworth regardless of the new addition. St. Louis also needs a quarterback above all else and if they have Bradford rated at the top of their board, he will be their pick.

Either way, things just got a lot more interesting with the NFL draft a little over 48 hours away now.

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As part of our 2010 NFL Draft coverage, I will be breaking down positional needs for all 32 teams, starting in reverse alphabetical order. Next up is the St. Louis Rams. Check out other team needs by clicking here.

1. Quarterback
A team doesn’t land the first overall pick in the draft without having a ton of holes that need to be addressed before the start of a new season. But even with all the areas of need that the Rams have, it all starts with the quarterback, which should be the Rams’ top priority this offseason. Marc Bulger turns 33 in July and ever since he signed a six-year, $65 million contract extension in 2007 he’s been worthless. Whether it comes in free agency or the draft, the Rams must upgrade the quarterback position this offseason and close the book on the Bulger era in St. Louis. They can’t possibly head into 2010 with Bulger at the top of the quarterback depth chart, especially considering they select at the top of each round in April and seeing as how Michael Vick could probably be had via trade. Rams GM Billy Devaney is familiar with Vick from their time together in Atlanta and Steve Spagnuolo has had nothing but positive things to say about the troubled quarterback so far this offseason. Vick could be acquired for cheap and while he certainly wouldn’t be a long-term answer, he would bring some excitement to the position and give the Rams more playmakers on offense. If not, the Rams could look at drafting a signal caller in one of the first two rounds.

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