Rams Want Fresno Quarterback but Might Take Cowboys’ Harper

If the Rams are unable to select Fresno State quarterback Trent Dilfer in the first round of Sunday’s NFL draft, the team will attempt to trade its first pick to Dallas for wide receiver Alvin Harper and the 16th choice in round two.

John Shaw, Ram executive vice president, confirmed Wednesday that he has had trade talks with Dallas owner Jerry Jones and that they are close to an agreement on Harper, contingent on Dilfer’s availability. The Rams pick fifth.

“There is no trade at the present time,” Shaw said. “Our No. 1 plan will be to take a quarterback, but if one is not there, there are a number of options to consider and one might be trading for Alvin Harper.”

Harper was the 12th pick in the 1991 draft. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound wide receiver from Tennessee has played in the shadow of Michael Irvin while at Dallas. He caught 36 passes for 777 yards and five touchdowns last season but is probably best known for big catches he has made in postseason competition the last two years, including a 45-yard scoring reception in Super Bowl XXVII.

The Rams gave some thought to immediately accepting Dallas’ offer for Harper, but the opportunity to pick a potential franchise quarterback persuaded them to wait until Sunday.

“If there’s a quarterback there, we would take him,” Coach Chuck Knox said. “There isn’t any question about that.”