Rams Set Their Sights on Harper : Football: If quarterback Dilfer isn’t available with fifth draft pick, team will attempt trade for Dallas receiver.

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 (No. 5 overall) to Dallas for wide receiver Alvin Harper and the 16th choice in the second round.

The only holdup to such a transaction would be Harper’s unwillingness to come to terms on a contract with the Rams.

“I know that’s what the Rams and Cowboys would like to do, but my client has some major concerns about moving to the West Coast,” said Jimmy Sexton, Harper’s agent, who opened contract talks with the Rams Wednesday. “That’s no reflection on the Rams, but his family has been comfortable in Dallas.”

John Shaw, Ram executive vice president, confirmed Wednesday that he has had such trade talks with Dallas owner Jerry Jones, and in addition, he has been asked by the Cowboys about wide receiver Flipper Anderson’s availability.

Shaw said the Cowboys offered a fourth- or fifth-round pick for Anderson. The Rams said they were not interested.

The teams, however, appear close to an agreement on Harper, which is contingent on Dilfer’s availability.

The Rams believe Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler will be selected before their pick. The Rams like Shuler and rate him more athletic than Dilfer, but they have ranked Dilfer, who had only four passes intercepted s his final season at Fresno State, higher in their overall grading process.

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

The Browns thought they had a trade for Harper worked out Wednesday and had come to terms on a three-year, $5-million contract with the restricted free agent. Jones, however, reportedly attempted to change the terms of the trade, which prompted Cleveland to cancel the deal.

“We had a deal with Cleveland,” Sexton said, “and right now that would be Alvin’s first choice. After what happened with Cleveland I’m not very optimistic of anything happening other than Alvin signing a one-year deal and remaining in Dallas.”

Jones reportedly has reopened talks with Cleveland and has fielded trade inquiries from Pittsburgh. But the Rams have a contingent deal in place, and will try to negotiate a contract today with Harper in the event they have to make such a trade with Dallas Sunday during the 15 minutes in which they have to make their first-round pick.

The Rams are desperate for a wide receiver and failed to sign Houston’s Haywood Jeffires earlier. They like Colorado wide receiver Charles Johnson, but do not believe there is a prospect in the draft worthy of top-10 consideration. They are known to hold Harper, who was the 12th pick in the 1991 draft, in high regard.

Harper, a 6-3, 207-pound wide receiver from Tennessee, has played in the shadow of Michael Irvin 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 convinced the Rams 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.

“The reasons are, No. 1 we have two expansion teams coming in next year who will be in position to take the quality quarterbacks. The second reason is if we have the kind of football team that we want to have, and win, we’re not going to be drafting five, or four or be in position to get that kind of quarterback again.”

The Bengals are expected to pick Ohio State defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson with the first overall pick of the draft, and Indianapolis, which also picks seventh in the first round, is projected next to take San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk.

The Colts also need a quarterback, and although they have talked to New England about moving from No. 7 to No. 4 to take Dilfer, they could pass on Faulk at No. 2 and select quarterback Heath Shuler, who threw for 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions at Tennessee.

If Shuler gets past Indianapolis, he is expected to be Washington’s selection with the third pick. That would leave Dilfer on the board and New England picking fourth with Drew Bledsoe and no need for a quarterback.

The Patriots are reportedly interested in USC defensive end Willie McGinest, which would leave Dilfer for the Rams. If New England trades its pick to allow another team to take Dilfer, that would leave available McGinest, whom the Cowboys covet.

If the Rams miss on Dilfer and are unable to come to terms with Harper, they will look at Notre Dame defensive lineman Bryant Young, Texas A&M; cornerback Aaron Glenn and Alabama cornerback Antonio Langham.