Redskins Heart Branden Albert, Could Trade for Lito Shepard - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

At this point, I fully expect Branden Albert to be the first pick in the draft. He's gone from a late first-rounder to a middle-of-the-round pick, to now a potential top-five selection. And with each passing day, it seems like more teams are interested, particularly since he can play both tackle and guard.

The latest organization on the wagon is the Washington Redskins, who don't pick until 21st.

[Albert] would be a steal at 21, and, sources said, the Skins are very high on him, considering him the best of the O Linemen likely to be available and a player they would gladly pounce on here.

It's unlikely they'll have the opportunity to take Albert late in the round, but the Vinny Cerrato All-Stars are also very high on Vandy's Chris Williams, or maybe Virginia Tech's Duane Thomas in the second round.

And while Washington has all their draft picks for the first time in a long time, there's still a chance the team could trade for a big-named free agent.

Sources suggested a trade for a solid veteran corner in the next few weeks is possible. Philly's Lito Sheppard is the most prominent name being shopped, but as we went over last month, the Skins rebuffed Philly's advances, concerned about his health and not wanting to deal a high pick.

But the Skins could very well package one of their third rounders, and maybe something else, to get a dependable corner, and then, on draft day, trade out of the 21st pick and essentially re-acquire the draft pick assets they dealt for the corner.

Unlike previous off-seasons, though, the Redskins are apparently very serious about building through the draft, and have finally accepted that it's damn near impossible to stock a winning roster solely through free agency. Weird.