NFL teams look to move up in draft

NEW YORK - Nobody will be trading for the first pick in Saturday&#39;s NFL draft. Beyond that, anything is possible. <br> <br> After the expansion Houston Texans open proceedings by making Fresno State quarterback David Carr the No. 1 pick, the Carolina Panthers will entertain offers for the second spot. And just about every team will make overtures to get into the top dozen slots or to trade down and pick up extra picks. <br> <br> Seattle coach-general manager Mike Holmgren has his eyes on a much higher position than the Seahawks&#39; No. 20 spot.<br> <br> ``I&#39;ll move up in there,&#39;&#39; Holmgren said. ``Whatever it takes. The whole trick is to get someone who is willing to get out of there. We&#39;re at 20. So I&#39;d have to throw in a lot of stuff.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> With the Seahawks, who are moving into a new $430 million stadium this season, Holmgren would love to have a playmaking rookie in the lineup. If he can trade into an early position, he might be looking at North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers, Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer, Oklahoma safety Roy Williams or one of the four touted defensive tackles. <br> <br> ``Things could happen,&#39;&#39; Holmgren said. ``You just have to have a team that is willing to move out of there. You know, taking a pick early in the draft is a huge money deal. So if a team has a salary cap problem, is getting squeezed and they want to move out of there, you might have more of a chance.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Should Carolina do the expected and grab Peppers - not only would he help the pass rush, but as a local product his selection would provide positive publicity - it won&#39;t happen before the Panthers think about trade offers. Those should start coming in the final hours before the draft.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re not getting any calls and the way it is setting up, we might not,&#39;&#39; general manager Marty Hurney said. ``If it doesn&#39;t happen, then we&#39;re content with taking the player we have in mind.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Many teams have the four DTs in mind, and they could go on consecutive picks early Saturday afternoon. Two are from Tennessee - John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth. The others are North Carolina&#39;s Ryan Sims, who played alongside Peppers, and Wisconsin&#39;s Wendell Bryant. <br> <br> ``We all know there&#39;s a premium on the big interior linemen,&#39;&#39; Jets player personnel director Dick Haley said. ``So the real good ones that have proven everything to most teams are probably going to go real quick.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Also expected to go quickly are mammoth offensive tackles Bryant McKinnie of national champion Miami, and Texas&#39; Mike Williams. Either could go in the top five. <br> <br> Minnesota, which picks seventh, hopes McKinnie or Williams are on the board. The Vikings have a void at left tackle after last summer&#39;s death of Korey Stringer. <br> <br> ``A No. 7 pick in the draft is a player that you know is going to be a blue-chip player, that is going to come in and make an impact for your football team,&#39;&#39; said coach Mike Tice, whose team usually drafts far lower. ``Fortunately for us they haven&#39;t come around in a while. But now that we have it, boy, oh, boy, it would be hard to get rid of it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Still, teams will ask. Oakland, which acquired Tampa Bay&#39;s top selection (21st overall) as part of the compensation package for coach Jon Gruden, would like to get in the mix for one of the top defensive tackles. New Orleans, which has Nos. 13 and 25, also has the ammunition to move up. <br> <br> ``I think this draft is a kind of 10-or-12-really-good-player draft,&#39;&#39; Saints general manager Randy Mueller said. ``Does that warrant us going up from 13? I don&#39;t know. It&#39;s always possible.&#39;&#39;

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