Chiefs Teicher: Albert shaping up at tackle for Chiefs - Page 3

**Tribal Warfare** · 08-28-2010, 11:59 PM

Albert shaping up at tackle for Chiefs
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

When the 2009 season mercifully ended, Branden Albert was like everyone else and unsure whether he would be the Chiefs’ left tackle when they gathered again.

Albert was still trying to establish himself as a quality player at his position, a premium one because it protects the back side of quarterback Matt Cassel and battles each week against the NFL’s best pass rushers.

Albert decided shortly after season’s end that he would prepare as if he would have to battle to keep his job. That decision might have persuaded the Chiefs not to draft a left tackle.

In any case, it was an extremely quiet preseason for Albert until Friday night’s game against Philadelphia. Albert was penalized once for holding and another time for a false start.

Still, the Chiefs are encouraged by what they’ve seen from Albert. He ties that to his offseason decision.

“I really wasn’t thinking about what else would happen,” Albert said. “My thing was not to make the same mistake I did last offseason by getting out of shape. That’s what I was worried about. If I had done what I did last year, it would have been a big step back.

“I didn’t worry about what else was going on. I wanted to control what I could control and that was to come into the offseason in the best shape possible.”

In last year’s new world of coach Todd Haley, smaller was deemed to be better for a lot of Chiefs players and Albert was one of them. He had trouble getting to his prescribed weight of 316 pounds and then had trouble dealing with his new, slimmed-down body.

The result was a difficult season. Albert was among the league leaders in sacks allowed, sparking thoughts the Chiefs would look for a new left tackle with the fifth pick in the draft and then move Albert to right tackle or guard, where he played at Virginia.

Two things stopped the Chiefs — aside from the fact they fell in love with Tennessee safety Eric Berry. Albert improved toward the end of last season and attacked the offseason with a vengeance.

“I’ve felt that about Branden going back to last year, from the conditioning aspect to buying in to the thought process to believing what he was told, that he could be a better player if he was in better condition and at a certain weight,” Haley said.

“He went through an adjustment period of dealing with his new body. He stayed in shape when the season ended. He came into this offseason with a baseline of where he needed to be and then he built on it. He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten quicker, he’s got better stamina.”

Veteran left guard Brian Waters last year was Albert’s biggest — and seemingly sometimes only — fan. He vigorously defended Albert, saying that given time, Albert could become a franchise left tackle for years.

Waters hoped the Chiefs wouldn’t draft a left tackle.

“I didn’t think it was necessary, to be honest with you,” Waters said. “He has the ability to be as good there is in this game. We had a lot of other pressing needs that were definitely more important than that one.

“I know how hard he works. He wants to be great. That’s one thing about him. His work ethic and his concentration in the classroom and on the field match what he wants out of life as far as being a football player. A lot of guys say they want it but they don’t want to put in the work and handle all the details. He’s one of those guys who if you give him something he did wrong, he’s going to work all week to fix that.

“He’s not one of those guys who thinks he has all the answers, which a lot of times those high draft picks … these days you don’t even need to be a high draft pick. He listens, takes everything in.”

The Chiefs were hopeful about Albert’s progress when camp started but unsure. So far, he’s been what they hoped.

“He’s got (Tamba Hali) lining up across from him every single day,” Haley said. “When Tamba brings in it like he’s bringing it in a game … he isn’t calling off the dogs very often. I see a good battle between Branden and Tamba on a consistent basis.

“He’s got good competition and that makes the game a little easier for him. He’s just got to keep it going.”

The Chiefs gave Albert a vote of confidence when they opted to pass on the chance to draft a left tackle, but Albert isn’t necessarily looking at it that way.

“I won’t say that,” Albert said. “I’ll just say that what I’ve done in the offseason showed people what I needed to show them.

“I’m not going to say I’m a better player. Let me go through the season first. I’ve started off on a good foot by staying in shape in the offseason and doing what I had to do. From January to March, I think I did a good job. We’ll see how everything plays out during the season.”

Sheffield out of hospital

The Chiefs confirmed Saturday that linebacker Cameron Sheffield, who was injured in Friday’s preseason game against Philadelphia, has been released from the hospital.

Sheffield, who suffered a neck injury on what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit while making a tackle, was immobilized and carried off the field. He has movement in all of his extremities, the Chiefs said.

Sheffield was a fifth-round pick from Troy in this year’s draft.

milkman · 08-29-2010, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philfree

I agree with all but the bolded part. He came in at weight and passed the physical test and i've read no news of his commitment being questioned.
So what information are you forming this opinion on?

PhilFree

My opinion is based on his play on the field.

What we get from this article is that he committed to maintaining weight and keeping in shape.

What we don't get from this article, or from his play on the field, is anything that suggests he committed to improving his technique.

TEX · 08-29-2010, 12:52 PM

sparking thoughts the Chiefs would look for a new left tackle with the fifth pick in the draft and then move Albert to right tackle or guard, where he played at Virginia.

IMO, they still need to do this. Albert simply as not progressed at LT to be considered a solid future option.

Mr. Laz · 08-29-2010, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I'm just trying to figure out why people are saying he had such a bad game or that he hasn't improved or that he's having such a bad preseason that he shouldn't even be starting anymore.

link?

chiefzilla1501 · 08-29-2010, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEX

sparking thoughts the Chiefs would look for a new left tackle with the fifth pick in the draft and then move Albert to right tackle or guard, where he played at Virginia.

IMO, they still need to do this. Albert simply as not progressed at LT to be considered a solid future option.

I don't agree with this. If he has any upside at LT, you absolutely stick with him. Of course he's progressed. In his rookie season, he went from zero left tackle experience to being a decent starter. In his second season, he learned a totally different blocking scheme, was forced to lose weight and play with totally different technique, and he went from being a swinging gate to a good run blocker and at least holding some of his own on pass protections.

The guy has absolutely progressed. And while he hasn't shown a ton of improvement from the end of last season, he definitely has not regressed. He's a solid but unspectacular LT for now and he still has significant upside. I absolutely do not want to see him at Guard until we're absolutely convinced he's not a LT of the future.

Marcellus · 08-29-2010, 12:59 PM

Yea, Albert sucks. He has failed the team miserably to this point. He is the reason we are 0-3 in preseason. He is a loser. He can't play. Did you see him suck it up in that one game? Good God he is atrocious.

We should have an All Pro LT, QB, RB, Lb, NT, WR and, DB on the roster by now.If you aren't all pro you suck.

Who drafted Brandon, Pioli? What a loser. Oops nope. Well he still sucks.

Is Damion McIntosh available?

chiefzilla1501 · 08-29-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laz

link?

Dude, read this thread.

You said he had his worst game by opinion, even though there's a detailed play-by-play breakdown that says he did just fine.

Dane and a few others have said they need to give up on the Albert project and go with a guy like Barry Richardson.

There are a bunch of people who have said he has not improved or shown progress.

ChiefsCountry · 08-29-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I was a HUGE Albert fan, especially after seeing how well he played in space at Virginia. I was extremely happy about his first year in KC. He pretty much kicked ass from game one.

Haley and Bill Muir (who I ****ING HATE) ****ed him up. The ENTIRE offensive line, despite their age, has taken a MAJOR step backwards since his hiring. I think he ****ing blows and should be fired ASAP.

Not only have people like Albert, Richardson and Brown not progressed, Asamoah, who was rated very highly hasn't done ****ing DICK.

Ryan Lilja, a left guard that was converted to right guard, has absolutely been the class of the 2010 preaseason, probably because he's been around long enough and is smart enough to avoid Muir's bullshit advice.

I don't have any idea what Pioli is seeing in these offensive and defensive lineman but whatever it is, sucks ****ing ass.

Look what the Bucs fan on here said when we hired Muir.
http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...5&postcount=19

Marcellus · 08-29-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Look what the Bucs fan on here said when we hired Muir.
http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...5&postcount=19

I wish all OL sucked to the level of 6 yards per carry.

**the Talking Can** · 08-29-2010, 01:04 PM

albert is a better LT than Cassel is a QB

chiefzilla1501 · 08-29-2010, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I wish all OL sucked to the level of 6 yards per carry.

I really think sometimes people bitch for the sake of bitching.

Blame the front office for not bringing great talent to the offensive line. But in terms of the coaching, Albert has most definitely progressed under Muir's watch and the run blocking has improved by leaps and bounds. And the pass protection went from swinging gate to giving Cassel more than enough time to make plays.

I don't blame Muir one bit for working with average talent (mostly) and for being asked to protect the QB who makes his offensive line significantly worse by poor decision making.

Marcellus · 08-29-2010, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I really think sometimes people bitch for the sake of bitching.

Blame the front office for not bringing great talent to the offensive line. But in terms of the coaching, Albert has most definitely progressed under Muir's watch and the run blocking has improved by leaps and bounds. And the pass protection went from swinging gate to giving Cassel more than enough time to make plays.

I don't blame Muir one bit for working with average talent (mostly) and for being asked to protect the QB who makes his offensive line significantly worse by poor decision making.

Funny thing is when Cassel struggles it's not the OL's fault. Now we have a Albert sucks thread.

Unless a player is All Pro or a Pro Bowler they suck ass.

Albert just needs to be competent, why does he need to kill people every day to be acceptable?

We don't need Pol Pot a LT. We just need Churchill.

FlaChief58 · 08-29-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

I don't agree with this. If he has any upside at LT, you absolutely stick with him. Of course he's progressed. In his rookie season, he went from zero left tackle experience to being a decent starter. In his second season, he learned a totally different blocking scheme, was forced to lose weight and play with totally different technique, and he went from being a swinging gate to a good run blocker and at least holding some of his own on pass protections.

The guy has absolutely progressed. And while he hasn't shown a ton of improvement from the end of last season, he definitely has not regressed. He's a solid but unspectacular LT for now and he still has significant upside. I absolutely do not want to see him at Guard until we're absolutely convinced he's not a LT of the future.

THIS

Mr. Laz · 08-29-2010, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Dude, read this thread.

You said he had his worst game by opinion, even though there's a detailed play-by-play breakdown that says he did just fine.

Dane and a few others have said they need to give up on the Albert project and go with a guy like Barry Richardson.

There are a bunch of people who have said he has not improved or shown progress.

i think you get upset and insulted and make things up.

logic test for you:

a. brandon albert had his worst game of the preseason
b. brandon albert is a bad player

Do comments A) and B) mean the same thing?

Mr. Laz · 08-29-2010, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

albert is a better LT than Cassel is a QB

i would say this is true

Coach · 08-29-2010, 01:20 PM

The flea-flicker was on Albert as much as it is on Cassel. Albert didn't knock his guy down when he should had. The link that I am providing will show it, or at least I hope so.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t=MVI_0673.mp4

08-28-2010, 11:59 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-3007187	Teicher: Albert shaping up at tackle for Chiefs Albert shaping up at tackle for Chiefs By ADAM TEICHER The Kansas City Star When the 2009 season mercifully ended, Branden Albert was like everyone else and unsure whether he would be the Chiefs’ left tackle when they gathered again. Albert was still trying to establish himself as a quality player at his position, a premium one because it protects the back side of quarterback Matt Cassel and battles each week against the NFL’s best pass rushers. Albert decided shortly after season’s end that he would prepare as if he would have to battle to keep his job. That decision might have persuaded the Chiefs not to draft a left tackle. In any case, it was an extremely quiet preseason for Albert until Friday night’s game against Philadelphia. Albert was penalized once for holding and another time for a false start. Still, the Chiefs are encouraged by what they’ve seen from Albert. He ties that to his offseason decision. “I really wasn’t thinking about what else would happen,” Albert said. “My thing was not to make the same mistake I did last offseason by getting out of shape. That’s what I was worried about. If I had done what I did last year, it would have been a big step back. “I didn’t worry about what else was going on. I wanted to control what I could control and that was to come into the offseason in the best shape possible.” In last year’s new world of coach Todd Haley, smaller was deemed to be better for a lot of Chiefs players and Albert was one of them. He had trouble getting to his prescribed weight of 316 pounds and then had trouble dealing with his new, slimmed-down body. The result was a difficult season. Albert was among the league leaders in sacks allowed, sparking thoughts the Chiefs would look for a new left tackle with the fifth pick in the draft and then move Albert to right tackle or guard, where he played at Virginia. Two things stopped the Chiefs — aside from the fact they fell in love with Tennessee safety Eric Berry. Albert improved toward the end of last season and attacked the offseason with a vengeance. “I’ve felt that about Branden going back to last year, from the conditioning aspect to buying in to the thought process to believing what he was told, that he could be a better player if he was in better condition and at a certain weight,” Haley said. “He went through an adjustment period of dealing with his new body. He stayed in shape when the season ended. He came into this offseason with a baseline of where he needed to be and then he built on it. He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten quicker, he’s got better stamina.” Veteran left guard Brian Waters last year was Albert’s biggest — and seemingly sometimes only — fan. He vigorously defended Albert, saying that given time, Albert could become a franchise left tackle for years. Waters hoped the Chiefs wouldn’t draft a left tackle. “I didn’t think it was necessary, to be honest with you,” Waters said. “He has the ability to be as good there is in this game. We had a lot of other pressing needs that were definitely more important than that one. “I know how hard he works. He wants to be great. That’s one thing about him. His work ethic and his concentration in the classroom and on the field match what he wants out of life as far as being a football player. A lot of guys say they want it but they don’t want to put in the work and handle all the details. He’s one of those guys who if you give him something he did wrong, he’s going to work all week to fix that. “He’s not one of those guys who thinks he has all the answers, which a lot of times those high draft picks … these days you don’t even need to be a high draft pick. He listens, takes everything in.” The Chiefs were hopeful about Albert’s progress when camp started but unsure. So far, he’s been what they hoped. “He’s got (Tamba Hali) lining up across from him every single day,” Haley said. “When Tamba brings in it like he’s bringing it in a game … he isn’t calling off the dogs very often. I see a good battle between Branden and Tamba on a consistent basis. “He’s got good competition and that makes the game a little easier for him. He’s just got to keep it going.” The Chiefs gave Albert a vote of confidence when they opted to pass on the chance to draft a left tackle, but Albert isn’t necessarily looking at it that way. “I won’t say that,” Albert said. “I’ll just say that what I’ve done in the offseason showed people what I needed to show them. “I’m not going to say I’m a better player. Let me go through the season first. I’ve started off on a good foot by staying in shape in the offseason and doing what I had to do. From January to March, I think I did a good job. We’ll see how everything plays out during the season.” Sheffield out of hospital The Chiefs confirmed Saturday that linebacker Cameron Sheffield, who was injured in Friday’s preseason game against Philadelphia, has been released from the hospital. Sheffield, who suffered a neck injury on what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit while making a tackle, was immobilized and carried off the field. He has movement in all of his extremities, the Chiefs said. Sheffield was a fifth-round pick from Troy in this year’s draft.
Posts: 43,454

08-29-2010, 12:52 PM	#32
TEX Out Gunning CP's Fandom Police Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Galveston, TX Casino cash: $-1456873	sparking thoughts the Chiefs would look for a new left tackle with the fifth pick in the draft and then move Albert to right tackle or guard, where he played at Virginia. IMO, they still need to do this. Albert simply as not progressed at LT to be considered a solid future option. __________________ "Do we have time to run WASP?"
Posts: 37,108

08-29-2010, 12:59 PM	#35
Marcellus Diablo Negro Join Date: Sep 2003 Casino cash: $-507338	Yea, Albert sucks. He has failed the team miserably to this point. He is the reason we are 0-3 in preseason. He is a loser. He can't play. Did you see him suck it up in that one game? Good God he is atrocious. We should have an All Pro LT, QB, RB, Lb, NT, WR and, DB on the roster by now.If you aren't all pro you suck. Who drafted Brandon, Pioli? What a loser. Oops nope. Well he still sucks. Is Damion McIntosh available?
Posts: 74,404

08-29-2010, 01:04 PM	#39
the Talking Can Supporter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: street Casino cash: $9152208	albert is a better LT than Cassel is a QB __________________ Clark Hunt: "Thank god for the Dominican pool boy"
Posts: 51,585

08-29-2010, 01:20 PM	#45
Coach Champs! Join Date: Mar 2004 Casino cash: $3708476	The flea-flicker was on Albert as much as it is on Cassel. Albert didn't knock his guy down when he should had. The link that I am providing will show it, or at least I hope so. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t=MVI_0673.mp4 __________________ Super Bowl IV, LIV, LVII & LVIII Champions 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, & 2025 AFC Champions 1985 & 2015 Major League Baseball World Series Champions 1980, 1985, 2014, & 2015 Major League Baseball American League Champions 2015 American League Central Division Champs
Posts: 54,706