As expected, Chiefs don’t franchise Branden Albert

AP

The Chiefs used their franchise tag on left tackle Branden Albert last season, but there will not be a replay in Kansas City.

The deadline for using the tag has come and gone and Albert is still on track to become a free agent on March 11. It has been expected for some time that the Chiefs would let things play out that way with Albert, although General Manager John Dorsey said recently that the team was still talking to Albert about a return.

With Albert, Eugene Monroe and Jared Veldheer all going untagged, it’s shaping up to be a busy year for left tackles in free agency. Having three talented players hit the market in the same year as a good crop of tackles hit the draft could make for a buyer’s market, but the higher cap number and amount of teams looking for an upgrade at the position should serve all three of them well.

The Dolphins are reportedly one of the teams interested in Albert’s services, which also comes as little surprise since the team tried to trade for him before the 2013 draft.

26 responses to “As expected, Chiefs don’t franchise Branden Albert

  1. he didn’t say they were talking about a return. see, cmon PFT. he said they talked. that can be as much as “hey, thanks for the year, we sure hope we can keep you, enjoy FA!!!”

    they have other holes, that don’t have a super talented T waiting like Donald Stephenson. the offense won’t skip a beat in regards to LT. they need to worry about WR/FS/DE/ILB before Stephenson who had a plus grade on PFF

  2. I hope the Dolphins get him – but not at the kind of price that he is asking for.

    I wonder what would have happened had the Dolphins made a deal for Albert before we drafted Jordan.. Jordan smacks of ‘unrealized potential’, but until its ‘realized’, then really, its just another draft that didnt pan out.

  3. Albert wants top LT money which is around $10-11 million a year, Chiefs paid him over $10 last year on the franchise tag and Albert has said he wants that kind of money every year.

    Miami wanted him last year and the Chiefs were willing to trade him but word is that Miami never gave any serious offers (tried low pick offers) and the Chiefs didn’t bite.

  4. wichitachiefsfan is absolutely right and in the end the Chiefs will get a 3rd rounder for him next year as compensation. Besides I like Stephenson a lot to slide right in.

  5. No matter how it shakes out , Miami will end with either Albert , Monroe or Veldheer. Quite naturally , Monroe would be my first choice , but he’s the least likely of the three to sign with Miami . . . free agency definitely accomplished one thing — it made it possible for great big 350 lb. linemen to escape the Florida heat and humidity . . . hard to imagine Monroe would want to go back there at any price.

  6. keenemarin brought up the Dolphins.

    I was reminding him of his potential offensive line holes.

  7. “Miami wanted him last year and the Chiefs were willing to trade him but word is that Miami never gave any serious offers (tried low pick offers) and the Chiefs didn’t bite.”

    So instead of having a late 2nd or a early 3rd, the chiefs will get maybe a 4th comp pick. Yeah the chiefs really came out the winners there…

    In hindsight ireland should have traded that low 2nd for albert and just stayed pat in the draft. There were no winners in that ordeal last year, just losers.

  8. @ manic084 – they got Albert’s services for another year while allowing Fisher and Stephenson to get more experience. Now they’ll feel more comfortable going in to this season with those two at the tackle positions. Sounds like a win to me.

  9. Although King Dunlap did a good job holding the LT position down, he was injured and out of a few games. I would like the Chargers to kick the tires on some of these FA LT on the market to gauge asking price but not if it’s going to break the bank. If not, then the draft it is.

  10. @kchoya or they could have just started those 2 and really gave them exp and a 2nd round pick from miami. All renting albert for a year did was make it easier to bring those players along. Was it worth losing a 2nd round pick for? Maybe, but time will tell.

  11. Brandon should stay in KC but if not Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton need a LT since Jordan Gross recently retired.

  12. “craniator says: Mar 3, 2014 5:31 PM

    No matter how it shakes out , Miami will end with either Albert , Monroe or Veldheer.”

    actually, they could very plausibly miss out on all of them. they aren’t the only teams in the hunt. i’d bet good money monroe and veldheer will both re-sign with their current clubs. the ravens and raiders just let them test the market as a courtesy.

  13. King Dunlap ? Holding the job down ? Well . . . you the “holding” part right , at least ; he did do plenty of that.

  14. Kc isn’t winning a super bowl with Alex Smith at qb need to consider a qb in the second or third rd this year or next while they are a decent teak with caretaker Smith

  15. afcdomination says: Mar 3, 2014 4:54 PM

    they have other holes, that don’t have a super talented T waiting like Donald Stephenson. the offense won’t skip a beat in regards to LT. they need to worry about WR/FS/DE/ILB before Stephenson who had a plus grade on PFF
    —————-
    The only plus grade PFF gave to Stephenson last year was in penalties. He did grade out better than Eric Fisher, though.

  16. he had to move a lot on that line, look at his plus grade his rookie year against von miller and elvis of the broncos. 2.2. good enough

    and those saying KC loses out, how? yes, they get a 3rd comp pick for albert and not the 2nd they wanted last year, but they also got a year out of albert, well, 12 games and a playoff start.

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