NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints gave up a first-round draft pick to get Earl Campbell last year but will have a late choice in the round after all, now that George Rogers has been traded to the Redskins.
The Saints, in a deal announced Friday, received Washington24th pick overall in return for running back Rogers and three later draft choices.
But Saints coach Bum Phillips said he is not worried about late draft picks anyway.
'I think there's a lot more third and fourth-round choices this year that will have a better shot at making somebody's team,' he said.
'I think there will be a good offensive lineman in the third round simply because there's so many of them up there. Everybody can take one but they won't take two.'
Phillips, who moved from the Houston Oilers to the Saints in 1981, lured running back Campbell to his team in mid-season last year, giving up what turned out to be the 11th pick of the draft.
The Saints are left with eight draft choices. They traded the No. 6 selection for tight end Junior Miller of the Atlanta Falcons in August.
Phillips said Friday he did not yet know who the Saints will draft. The team does not look at possible draft choices according to positions where the team needs help, he said.
'We just want to get good football players,' he said. 'We never have sat down and said, 'This is a spot where we have to have help.''
The draft may not have as many standouts as in the past, Phillips said, but he thinks this year's selection offers some depth.
'I think there are more people in some positions than others,' he said. 'There's quite a few offensive linemen, quite a few quality linebackers and a lot of wide receivers.
'There's probably not as many running backs as there have been in the past, like a Marcus Allen or somebody. But there's good players all the way through.'
