You heard it first from PFW draft expert Nolan Nawrocki in his most recent mock draft: Several trades are very likely to occur in the first round. Which has gotten me to thinking. Are we talking about trades mostly involving draft picks that would be used to get into a position to draft a specific player? Or could we be talking about trades involving actual NFL players, guys like Jeremy Shockey, P.J. Losman of other "name" types who, on the surface, wouldn't even appear to be on the market at the moment? Something tells me we might be in store for an intriguing mixture of the two, which would create a draft weekend that might be even more entertaining than usual.

I've mentioned a few names here, but I can't say I have any inside dope on any of them being available in trade. What I am more than willing to bet, though, is that a good handful of players could be peddled in late April that will be considered major eyebrow raisers by the general public. Perhaps as the days wear on, I will throw a few more interesting names into the ringer as potential trade bait. For now, let's just say it would be a smart move to EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

One more general thought before signing off in my first 2008 draft blog. In the NFC West, the division which I follow the closest for PFW, don't be surprised if both the Rams and Cardinals select the BEST AVAILABLE DEFENSIVE ATHLETES REGARDLESS OF POSITION with their top picks, while the Seahawks and Niners pick THE BEST AVAIALABLE OFFENSIVE ATHLETES REGARDLESS OF POSITION with their top picks. The one team I see subject to change is the Rams if Michigan OT Jake Long isn't selected first by Bill Parcells and the Dolphins. If Jake Long is there at No. 2 overall, we keep hearing the Rams would find it really hard to resist passing him up. What that would mean as far as Orlando Pace and Alex Barron are concerned, raises a very interesting question indeed. Could the Rams lock in Long at right tackle initially and trade Barron, a former no. 1 pick who could still have decent trade value? In any event, you can be sure the wheels at Rams Park are turning 24/7 at the moment.