Redskins Work on Making A Deal

Moving Coles May Hinge on Samuels

INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 24 -- The Washington Redskins are planning to attempt to trade disgruntled wide receiver Laveranues Coles if they can obtain salary cap relief by reworking the contract of offensive lineman Chris Samuels, sources said yesterday.

Such a move might create enough salary cap space to allow the Redskins to trade Coles and absorb a cap hit of more than $9 million, the sources said. According to the source, the New York Jets, who employed Coles before he came to Washington as a restricted free agent in 2003, have emerged as the most prominent potential trading partner, although other teams are also interested.

Samuels is scheduled to count $9.5 million against Washington's 2005 cap. The Redskins can create between $4 million and $5 million in cap space by restructuring Samuels's deal through an extension. The Redskins are about $6 million under the cap after restructuring numerous deals and releasing two players recently.

Negotiations between the Redskins and Samuels's agent, Jimmy Sexton, have intensified here at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. The sides are aiming to strike a deal by Tuesday, the NFL's deadline to get under the cap.

If Washington doesn't use the increased cap space to trade Coles, Samuels's new deal would still provide cap flexibility during free agency.

Without changing Samuels's contract, the club would be hard-pressed to trade Coles unless he agrees to forfeit a significant portion of his $13 million bonus. Coles signed a seven-year, $35 million deal in 2003 as a restricted free agent. And after giving up a first-round pick (No. 13 overall) for Coles, the Redskins strongly desire getting something in return. However, Coles has balked at forfeiting a $5 million bonus payment due April 1, apparently because he believes that there was an understanding with Washington that he would do so only in exchange for being released.

Coles prefers to be released instead of being traded, a source said earlier this week.

Samuels has roughly $15 million on two seasons remaining on his current contract. Samuels initially hadn't been willing to restructure unless he recouped that figure as a bonus in a new deal, sources said. If Samuels gets a $15 million bonus, the Redskins will save close to $4 million.

If Samuels were to agree to a new deal, his representatives will likely use Seattle's signing last week of left tackle Walter Jones as a barometer. Jones signed a seven-year, $52.5 million contract, which included a $16 million bonus. The contract spurred the Redskins and Samuels to rekindle stalled negotiations, sources said.

It is difficult to gauge what the Redskins could get in exchange for Coles. The Minnesota Vikings reportedly are trading controversial wide receiver Randy Moss, considered one of the best players in the league, to Oakland next week for a first-round draft pick, a linebacker who was a part-time starter and a late-round draft pick.

Coles had 90 receptions for 950 yards, a career-low for average yards per catch, last season under Coach Joe Gibbs's struggling offense. Coles's unhappiness with the offense led to his desire to leave the Redskins.