Chiefs’ Reid addresses Albert’s status, cornerback competition

[Mr. Laz]

CHIEFS
Chiefs’ Reid addresses Albert’s status, cornerback competition
March 19
BY ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

Andy Reid came close, but he didn’t end the mystery of Branden Albert and his standing with the Chiefs in an interview today.

“The thing I know is that he’s a Pro Bowl caliber left tackle,” Reid said from Phoenix, site of the NFL’s annual owners meetings. “I feel that way. He’s a very good player. I have no problem with saying that.”

With that said, Reid wouldn’t confirm Albert would be the Chiefs’ left tackle next season. Albert has told the team he plans to sign the club’s one-year, $9.83 million contract offer as their franchise player.

“I’m going to try to play the five best guys,” Reid said. “I’ve never, ever in my career put a guy into a position he hasn’t played. I had Shaun Andrews (with Philadelphia) and he might have been the finest left tackle in the National Football League had I played him there. He was playing guard for me and then he played a little bit of tackle but he was the best guard in football.

“I know (Albert) can play left tackle and I know he can play it at a championship caliber level. That’s a refreshing thing.”

Albert and his future with the Chiefs has been the subject of much public speculation. It hasn’t stopped even when Albert informed the Chiefs he would sign his one-year contract. One issue has been his position, even though Albert has been nothing but a left tackle since the Chiefs drafted him in the first round in 2008.

Another is whether the Chiefs would trade Albert. They can do so once he signs the contract.

If the Chiefs were to trade Albert or ask him to switch to guard or right tackle, they could select his replacement in either Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel or Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher with the first overall pick of the NFL Draft in April.

Both players are generally considered to be among the best players available in the draft.

Reid also addressed the issue at cornerback, which is suddenly crowded in Kansas City after the Chiefs signed veteran free agents Dunta Robinson and Sean Smith. They join last year’s starters, Brandon Flowers and Javier Arenas.

Flowers has been one of the league’s better cornerbacks almost since joining the Chiefs as a second-round draft pick in 2008, so he will keep one of the starting spots.

As for the other, Reid said, “They’re competing for that corner spot. Right now, if we were going to practice today, Dunta would be the first one in line. But they would be competing and making each other better. That will help all four of them. I’ll throw Arenas and Flowers into that mix, too.

“You know how it is with those guys. You can’t go into a season with just a couple of corners.”

Asked where Robinson, a starter the past nine seasons for Houston and Atlanta, would play if Smith wins the other starting spot, Reid said, “He’ll play somewhere. I don’t know where exactly. He’s a corner. He played safety in college so I know he can do that. But that’s not what I’m looking at right now.”

Smith, at 6 feet 3 and 218 pounds, is one of the biggest cornerbacks in the league. Reid indicated the Chiefs that size would be needed alongside the Flowers and Arenas at 5-9 and Robinson at 5-10.

“Teams are playing bigger receivers now, so it certainly doesn’t hurt,” Reid said. “It’s a positive. We want to play our corners in (tight) coverage. This will help.”

The Chiefs next season will try to catch in the AFC West standings the Denver Broncos, who have not only Peyton Manning at quarterback but Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, both 6-3, and the recently signed Wes Welker at wide receiver.

But Reid said the moves at cornerback were not aimed at the Broncos in particular.

“I didn’t do it as much for who the other teams had as much as I know what you have to have to play in this league,” he said.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It's meaningless hyperbole. Could just be to drive up his trade value.

THIS A 1000x !!!!

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Let's see:

1.1 for
1.4, 2.35, and the next two year's firsts?
That's where I would start negotiating.

I don't think we are getting two firsts the following two years. I know that's where you are saying you would start, and that's fine, but I would be shocked if we got that.

[Molitoth]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

The only downside is that I would have to root for Geno and Chip Kelly to fail HARD, despite the fact that they were both my preferred candidates for their respective positions.

Same, I couldn't knowingly root against them either.
I'd like for both to succeed.

[ChiefRocka]

At least pull a first next year.

[Cannibal]

Need our 2nd rounder back.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Let's see:

1.1 for
1.4, 2.35, and the next two year's firsts?
That's where I would start negotiating.

That's what we SHOULD get.

If John Dorsey continues his awful trend he's been taking this offseason, we'll probably only get a 2nd rounder and change back.

The deal will get officially announced, and Roseman from the Eagles will say shit like, "We're very happy to have made this deal with such a classy organization. John Dorsey is one of the nicest and best people I know in the NFL. We've been friends for a long time, going back to our days in college when I used to take all his money at our monthly poker games. I think a deal was made that benefitted both sides today."

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

lmao. "and he let me **** his girlfriend too"!
Posted via Mobile Device

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Why should I hate on Geno just because the most QB-inept franchise in the history of the AFC was too reeruned and chickenshit to pick him? Not gonna' happen.
Posted via Mobile Device

[a pp roach]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

“You know how it is with those guys. You can’t go into a season with just a couple of corners.”

that seems to be a positive statement. i can't believe we had such a loser like pioli last year. i hope reid's words turn to success like he has had in the past.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by penbook

Oh Shiet!! WalterFootball is saying a deal with us and the Eagles could already be in place.

The Eagles drafting Geno

http://walterfootball.com/draft2013.php

Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
There's no way this pick is locked in yet, but it seems to be moving in that direction pretty rapidly with Luke Joeckel. Some speculated that the Chiefs would go with a defensive lineman or even a cornerback with this selection in the wake of Branden Albert's franchise tag, but that's no longer the case after right tackle Eric Winston was released last week.

It's unusual to pick a right tackle No. 1 overall, but this isn't a typical situation. Albert was franchised, so he'll be around for just one season. Joeckel could start at right tackle and then take over the blind side in 2014 and beyond. Also, there's no guarantee that Albert will even be on the roster come September. Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star told Pro Football Talk that there's a chance Albert will be traded this offseason. That would make lots of sense, given that the Chiefs just dealt two second-day selections to the 49ers.

There's been some speculation that Kansas City might prefer Eric Fisher over Joeckel, but that doesn't appear to be the case. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport revealed that the Chiefs are very high on Joeckel. My own Kansas City source said the same thing to me. Also, Adam Schefter tweeted the following over the weekend (you can see this in the 2013 NFL Draft Rumors section: "After today's Pro Day at Texas A&M, scouts believe it's hard to imagine the Chiefs bypassing OT Luke Joeckel with No. 1 overall pick."

where?

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by penbook

No way in Hell B Albert would of been better than Brian Waters.

would have, dumbshit. or, you can use "would've" or "would become".

I guess we'll never know the answer. Except you think you know. although you may want to tackle knowing proper grammar first.

[ChiefGator]

Honestly, if we aren't going to draft Geno, and are only falling back three picks, I would take two 2nd rounders, along with Philly's 1 this year. Dropping back three picks saves us a good amount of cap space and we still get a player we want. Win/win.

Of course, if we can get two teams playing against each other, we may be able to drive up the price.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Buzz_TinBalls

would have, dumbshit. or, you can use "would've" or "would become".

I guess we'll never know the answer. Except you think you know. although you may want to tackle knowing proper grammar first.

just hush

go take a college english class if grammar makes you so hard

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

http://walterfootball.com/draft2013.php



where?

Dude talks out his ass. I wouldn't believe anything he posts.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Let's see:

1.1 for
1.4, 2.35, and the next two year's firsts?
That's where I would start negotiating.

No ****ing way the Chiefs extract more than 60% of that in points.