Kevin Mitchell, former NFL linebacker, died in his sleep at the age of 36. Mitchell died overnight Sunday at his home in Ashburn, near the Washington Redskins' training facility, according to the team. An autopsy was performed Monday by the Virginia state medical examiner's office. The cause of death was not immediately announced. Mitchell was drafted in the second round out of Syracuse in 1994 by the San Francisco 49ers, who moved the undersized college defensive lineman to linebacker. He played with San Francisco until 1997, then signed with New Orleans (1998-99). He played his final four seasons (2000-03) with the Redskins. "Anyone who knew him was touched by his smile, joy for life and love of his family," Washington owner Dan Snyder said. "Anyone who ever played with him or against him never forgot it. He earned our deepest respect."

The Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears have rekindled talks under which the Bears would trade Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs to the Redskins, NFL sources said yesterday. While a deal was not a certainty, one source with knowledge of the situation said there was a "50-50" chance a trade would be completed before Washington makes its first selection in the NFL draft tomorrow. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was possible the teams also would swap their first-round draft picks, with the Bears receiving Washington's sixth overall selection in return for Chicago's 31st pick.

Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson is considered by many teams to be the best player available in the draft, and the Redskins are very high on him as well, sources said, mulling over options to trade up to get him (the team has shopped cornerback Shawn Springs to Detroit, which has the second overall pick, again in recent weeks).

A proposed trade sending Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs to the Redskins is on the ropes after the Bears turned down Washington's proposed swap of draft picks. Last week, the Redskins made a one-time offer for Briggs, offering to swap their first-round draft pick, the sixth overall, for the Bears' No. 31 overall pick. The Redskins offer was take-it-or-leave it, and they told the Bears that they wanted an answer no later than Tuesday. The Redskins got their answer Tuesday afternoon when Bears general manager Jerry Angelo contacted the Redskins and told them he wasn't ready to make the simple swap of first-round draft choices.

The Washington Redskins' proposed trade for Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs will reach a secondary stage on Monday when the Bears are expected to counter the Redskins' offer of the team's sixth overall pick in next month's draft in return for Chicago's 31st pick and Briggs. During the week, Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo said he would use the weekend to consult with his staff and consider the Redskins' offer for the 26-year-old Briggs, a two-time Pro Bowl weak-side linebacker who has been in a contract dispute with the team since the Bears lost to Indianapolis in the Super Bowl. The dispute centers on Chicago's decision to name Briggs the team's franchise player, which allows it to pay him a one-year contract at $7.2 million. Briggs wants a long-term contract and has threatened to sit out for most of next season if the Bears don't trade him or work out an extension. On Saturday, Angelo said a long-term deal was unlikely, even in the event that Briggs plays in Chicago next season under the franchise tag.

The Bears weren't enamored with the Redskins' tactics last week, with Washington going public with its trade offer for disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs before presenting the offer formally to Chicago.