The Redskins today traded a conditional 2009 seventh-round draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings for defensive end Erasmus James.

James was placed on waivers late last week and was set to clear around 4 p.m., but the Redskins made the low-risk move, flipping a pick to Minnesota for the former first-round pick.

James is only 25 years old but has been plagued by injuries since coming out of Wisconsin. He played 15 games as a rookie and posted 28 tackles and four sacks according to league statistics. But James played only eight games the previous two seasons. He tore his ACL in Week 2 of the 2006 season and sustained a similar injury in Week 13 of last season.

At Wisconsin, James played for current Redskins defensive line coach John Palermo.

To make room for James, the Redskins released undrafted free agent Dorrian Smith.

-- Ryan O’Halloran