JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -The Jacksonville Jaguars desperately wanted a middle linebacker in the NFL draft. They had to trade to get one, and ended up with an established starter.
A day after failing to land Penn State linebacker Sean Lee in the second round, the Jaguars traded a fourth-round pick (No. 108) to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Kirk Morrison and a fifth-rounder (No. 153) Saturday.
Morrison, who led Oakland in tackles the past four seasons, became expendable when the Raiders drafted Alabama star Rolando McClain in the first round Thursday.
Morrison is expected to step right into the middle of Jacksonville’s revamped defense, allowing Daryl Smith and Justin Durant to play outside and probably sending Clint Ingram to the bench.
Morrison recently signed his restricted free agent tender and is due $2.51 million this season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2011.
defense that ranked 23rd in the league last season and finished with a franchise-low and NFL-worst 14 sacks.
Jacksonville signed free agent defensive end Aaron Kampman, released aging lineman Rob Meier and traded underachieving end Quentin Groves. The draft brought even more activity along the defensive front, with the Jags selected Tyson Alualu in the first round and D’Anthony Smith in the third.
Many draft analysts and fans considered those picks reaches. But Morrison is much more of a known commodity. A third-round pick from San Diego State in 2005, Morrison has started 79 of 80 games in five seasons. He has 621 tackles, six forced fumbles and five sacks.
The Jags tried to trade up to get Lee on Friday. They spoke with Philadelphia about packaging some picks in exchange for the 55th overall selection. But the Eagles ended up trading with NFC East rival Dallas, who took Lee at that spot.
General manager Gene Smith then turned his attention to Morrison. It was the second draft this week with Oakland. The Jaguars received a fifth-rounder from the Raiders on Wednesday in exchange for Groves.
Jacksonville now has three picks in the fifth and two in the sixth.
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