Likewise. But I can also acknowledge that having an offensive line with that much quality is a game changer.

Seriously, a team with Albert + Fisher/Joeckel is going to be better than a team with only Fisher/Joeckel, and that's the bottom line for me. If you let Albert walk to save money (while giving your stinking punter money that could be going to a T) that is the worst use of 1.1 I can think of. To me if you let Albert walk you missed on an opportunity to improve your team just to justify drafting a player that you fell in love with. At least with Albert + Fisher/Joeckel the team got better.

Looks like you were right.

I thought it was one of those nasty combo deals where the kneecap broke and a bunch of shit snapped in the process.

Looks like I'm just conflating reports; early reports said knee injury, later reports said broken leg.

I still don't think we should count on him for much, though. I was never terribly impressed by him at C.

Albert is going to be here for 1 year.

The Chiefs and Albert seem to be as far apart as Bowe and *****.

If you trade Albert you are getting more picks to do something to better the team for the future. If you don't trade him you lose him next year and then you move your RT to LT and you're back to square 1.

Guess I forgot the Chiefs were putting all their eggs in the 2013 basket with Alex Smith and a RT at 1.1.

But at this point they're not letting Albert walk; which I think everyone will agree would've just been monumentally stupid.

But let's say you're Andy Reid and you realize that Brandon Albert is driving a damn hard bargain. You see the writing on the wall that says you're probably not going to get him to sign long-term. You also know you have a 2-14 team that probably isn't going to truly contend this year.

So you take Fisher in preparation for the fact that Albert isn't eager to stick around without at least testing the market. Then, rather than watch Albert walk in 2014, you deal him for a 2nd rounder that actually has the ability to become a legitimate asset.

I'm not saying this is anywhere near my ideal scenario, but isn't it at least a defensible one?

EDIT: What JD said...slightly less snarkily. There's a long-term justification for that series of events. Even though the trade-down and LTC from Albert is still easily my preferred outcome.

Albert is worth more than a typical 2nd. Trading Albert for a 2nd probably doesn't make your team better.

so you think Albert is worth a 1st round pick?

on what market? Madden?

"Probably"

I'll take probably over a guaranteed not to.

Albert isn't going to get a better from Miam or anyone else than Long did. You probably aren't going to work out a trade for Albert unless he agrees to a reasonable contract with someone. He's indicated an eagerness to stay in KC. Unless his stated desire to stay in KC is a lie, he won't go anywhere unless Reid/Dorsey just don't want him around. A second for Albert isn't enough value to me, especially if it is to justify drafting a player they fell in love with. I'll forgive if the tackle they draft ends up a HOFer and plays 12+ years for the Chiefs.

Trading 1 year of virtually anyone on a 2-14 team with a 10/11 win ceiling probably makes the team better long-term.

As much better as trading down for an extra 1st and 2nd would and getting Albert to agree long-term? Nope, but you have to have contingencies for when things don't go according to your plan.

The elephant in the room is maybe Reid has hated Albert's tape this whole time and doesn't think he fits what he wants to do.

So if that's true...shrug...get something for him.

I agree, but I also don't think Albert's not been offered a fair deal.

If Albert's refusing to sign long-term despite Long setting the market, he's being unreasonable and is going to want to hit the market. When a premier FA hits the market, 90% of the time he's gone. I don't have any interest in losing Albert as a FA.

I don't think Joeckel or Fisher is "a player they fell in love with"; it's not like they're sending small armies to work them out. Rather, both of these guys are simply solid solutions to potential problems.

I heard a description of a basketball player that immediately made me think of Albert:

"A perfect trainwreck"

That's exactly Albert. Nothing about that guy's technique makes sense. He's a quirky, fundamentally unsound goofball of a blocker...that by God gets things done.

I could absolutely see a crusty old ball coach hating that kind of player. Because if you can't understand why his approach works, you can't coach up a solution if it stops working.

Yeah, it's possible that Reid just does not know what to make of what he sees in Brandon Albert - could any of us really blame him?

If you list the key contributors on the Chiefs, Albert is on that list. So are a bunch of other 1st round picks. Flowers, Charles, and Houston are the only key contributors that aren't first round picks. Odds are pretty long of getting a better player than Albert with a 2nd round pick.

This all could have been avoided if Scott Pioli has just done his ****ing job a year ago.

He is still ****ing this franchise from the grave.