Babb: Rookie Branden Albert is healthy and may play Sunday
 

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chi...ory/776268.htm

Rookie Branden Albert is healthy and may play Sunday
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

Two days after cutting their roster to 53 players, the Chiefs begin a new phase today in their rebuilding effort: Week one of the regular season. That phase might begin with one of the most important pieces intact.

Rookie left tackle Branden Albert is healthy enough at least to return to practice this week. After missing more than four weeks because of a sprained foot, Albert might even play Sunday when the Chiefs begin the regular season at New England.

“Not ruling him out at all,” Herm Edwards said. “Not one bit.”

The Chiefs are being careful with Albert and the injury he suffered July 31. It forced the 6-foot-5, 316-pounder to miss all but five days of the preseason, and he initially needed crutches and a walking boot to get around. Last week, he did light calisthenics and is expected to return full-speed when the Chiefs resume practice Wednesday.

Albert was in uniform during the Chiefs’ preseason finale, a 21-17 win this past Thursday against St. Louis. But Albert didn’t play, and Edwards said that never was the plan. It was to ease Albert’s mind and body into game mode, which for Albert included warm-ups and adjusting to the Chiefs’ pregame routine.

Edwards said veteran guard Brian Waters asked the coach Thursday why Albert was in uniform but wouldn’t play. Waters was Albert’s training-camp roommate and has taken an active interest in Albert’s progress. Edwards told Waters it wouldn’t have been fair to plug Albert into the starting lineup against the Patriots if he’d never even warmed up with his teammates.

“It would be awful to take him up to New England and it’s the first time he ever stepped on the field,” Edwards said. “We just took him through that. He’s a rookie, but if you’ve never put on pads in a real game and the first time you show up is in New England, that’s a lot.”

Yes, Edwards realizes Sunday might be a bit much for the rookie. The Patriots went 16-0 in last year’s regular season and went to the Super Bowl. It would be Albert’s first NFL game, and it also would be his first game as a tackle. Albert played guard at Virginia, and the Chiefs told him two days after drafting him No. 15 overall that he’d shift to left tackle, the position charged with protecting quarterback Brodie Croyle’s blind side and, in a sense, the offense’s most important player.

Now that rookie is staring at a first game in which the result counts, and here’s the defensive end you’re blocking, kid: five-time Pro Bowler Richard Seymour.

Even with all that, the Chiefs think Albert can handle this week, and the rest of what they’ll ask of him.

“If my biggest worry was how Branden Albert was going to play at left tackle,” coordinator Chan Gailey said, “I would sleep very well at night.”

If the Chiefs lose sleep over anything, it might be the idea Albert could be injury prone. He suffered an ankle injury near the end of offseason practice before spraining his foot in July. Since Kansas City drafted him in late April, Albert has missed more than five of the Chiefs’ eight weeks of organized practice, an absence Edwards has said will stunt Albert’s growth regardless of his talent.

And any further absences might cause the Chiefs to worry their second of two first-round picks might have a noticeable weakness.

For now, the Chiefs are looking forward to the present and hoping the future includes few of the injuries of Albert’s past. He is healthy now, and that’s all they’ll say matters. That is, until Sunday, when all that potential gets its first big test.

“He needs to get his heart pumping,” Edwards said.

•CHIEFS ADD TWO PLAYERS: The Chiefs claimed two players waived this weekend in an effort to strengthen a pair of thin positions.

Kansas City claimed guard Brian De La Puente, a rookie free agent waived Saturday by San Francisco. The Chiefs also added linebacker Erik Walden, who was Dallas’ sixth-round pick and was cut this past weekend. Walden also played defensive end for four years at Middle Tennessee State.

To make room for the two players, the Chiefs will either release cornerback Tyron Brackenridge or move him to the injured list.

The Chiefs waived linebacker Weston Dacus, a rookie free agent who started the Miami game, although the Chiefs would add Dacus to their practice squad if he clears waivers.

The Chiefs retained eight offensive linemen, but most were natural tackles. Linebacker has been one of the team’s thinnest positions during the preseason, mostly because of injuries to Donnie Edwards, Napoleon Harris and Demorrio Williams.

some teams have already named their PS players

Herm, he's played football for years. I think he knows what it is like to put pads on and get ready for a game.

Well if he's healthy it would be awesome to see him play.

That's rare praise from Gailey.

What's the rush? I thought it was a rebuilding year.

An OG that was cut by a team with a bad line, and a 3-4 LB... nice Carl.

I believe they are on the fence on whether to allow him to start( not to push him too hard against a pissed off NE Team), and if they are they should wait till the Raider game to unveil his talents.

9ers fans are actually pretty pissed about it, and a LB is a LB. Walden actually has better size for a 4-3 SLB than a 3-4 rush 'backer.

I wonder how much Albert will actually play. If he thinks he's ready, they should let him play.

If albert plays my cock is going to get really hard.

TMI

don't rush him and get him hurt, Faiders Homeopener is good enough

Yep, I'm all for holding Albert out as long as necessary. No rush needed. Not that I don't really want to see how he holds up against a quality DE and LB corps; but it's not worth agitating the injury any further.

He's probably going to get his ass kicked for a while, but we're not winning anything this year, anyways. Get him healthy, let him learn, and build for <strike>later</strike> the draft.

Only in KC could that line be written.