The report that the Chiefs gave permission to the Dolphins to talk to left tackle Brandon Albert came as news to Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
Reid denied the report today, according to Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star.
John Clayton of ESPN.com, however, is sticking with his story, which begins, “The Kansas City Chiefs have given the Miami Dolphins permission to talk to left tackle Branden Albert to help facilitate a trade for a second-round draft choice, a source said.” So either Clayton’s source is wrong or Reid is wrong.
If the Dolphins have had any contact with Albert without the Chiefs’ permission, they would be in violation of the league’s tampering rules.
Albert is currently under contract to the Chiefs, having signed his one-year, $9.8 million franchise tender. But he is staying away from the Chiefs’ offseason work, saying he wants to know what the Chiefs’ plans for him are. The Chiefs are reportedly willing to trade Albert for a high second-round pick. The Dolphins want to add a left tackle after losing Jake Long, and a deal with Albert would make a lot of sense.