Denver grants Lelie his wish with trade

The former Hawaii receiver's holdout and trade demand results in a move to Atlanta

Denver » The Denver Broncos finally said goodbye to Ashley Lelie yesterday.

In a complicated trade involving three teams, the Broncos sent their disgruntled wide receiver, a holdout, to Atlanta. The Falcons sent running back T.J. Duckett to Washington. The Redskins, in turn, will send what could be a high third-round draft pick to Denver.

The exact compensation Denver receives will not be determined until after the season. There are several possibilities, one being that the Broncos and Redskins flip-flop their first-round picks if both teams have good records and the Broncos have a better one. If the Redskins have a poor record, the Broncos would get their third-round pick.

The Broncos were holding out for a third-round pick for Lelie.

The trade is not official. The NFL has to approve the language of the deal, which in complicated when it comes to Denver's and Washington's portion of the trade. Plus, Lelie and Duckett must pass physicals.

Lelie said he would not comment until the deal becomes official. The trade had been in the works since Sunday.

Lelie, a first-round pick in the 2002 draft, has wanted out of Denver for five months. He did not show up for the Broncos offseason workouts, which began in early April. He later demanded to be traded and then, in early May, said he would not return to the Broncos.

"We're very happy. This is a win-win for all parties," said Lelie's Denver-based agent, Peter Schaffer. "Every team involved had a lot of needs, wants and issues. But this deal benefits everyone. But this deal could not have been done if it weren't for the work ethic and integrity of the Denver Broncos. Both Ashley and I appreciate how they handled it."