The Kansas City Chiefs are attempting to trade franchise-tagged left tackle Branden Albert in advance of the 2013 NFL Draft -- and the Miami Dolphins, who lost Jake Long to the St. Louis Rams in free agency, appear interested in Albert. Talks between the Chiefs and Dolphins have soured, and the two teams haven't talked "in days," according to The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero.
Branden Albert trade rumors: Dolphins, Chiefs haven’t talked ‘in days’
The Dolphins appear unwilling to satisfy Branden Albert’s contract demands.
Peter Aiken
Kansas City wants a second-round pick in exchange for Albert. Miami currently owns two second-round selections -- the No. 42 and No. 52 overall picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Albert’s long-term contract demands further complicate trade negotiations. Albert is reportedly seeking a long-term deal richer than the contract the Rams gave Long earlier this offseason. While Albert enjoyed a better 2012 than Long, he doesn’t have the same track record as the former No. 1 overall pick.
This year’s free-agent market has been somewhat depressed, and it’s possible that Albert and his camp are misjudging the market -- as many free agents did earlier this offseason. Arrowhead Pride’s Joel Thorman notes that the abundance of tackles in the draft and on the free-agent market hurt Albert’s demand -- and consequently, his next contract.
This is a little late in the game to be playing chicken like this. If Albert drops his price tag, you have to wonder what other teams would’ve been interested in him weeks ago if they had known the price tag was lower. This looks like a case of Albert (or his rep) misjudging the market and not hearing what he wants to hear from other teams. In any other season I would’ve expect Albert to pull more than $8.5 million per year but this is a unique year in that the Chiefs have the top pick where the best player is a left tackle and there were multiple starting left tackles on the open market, a rarity. More supply lowers the demand, which hurts Albert’s price.
Miami could use Albert, especially if the Dolphins are to dethrone the Patriots atop the AFC East in 2013, but at its own price on both fronts. Though the Chiefs are looking for a second-round pick, once they select either Eric Fisher or Luke Joeckel with the No. 1 overall pick, they’ll lose leverage.
Kansas City traded its 2013 second-round pick earlier this offseason, in exchange for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.
The 2013 NFL Draft will begin on Thursday. The second round of the NFL Draft will begin on Friday -- giving the Chiefs, Dolphins and Albert approximately five days to come to an agreement.
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