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The Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins have "resumed dialogue" for a trade that would send offensive tackle Branden Albert to the Dolphins, according to Ed Werder of ESPN, after earlier reports that the two sides had broken off communication regarding the deal.
The Chiefs are expected to select an offensive tackle with the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and the trade would send Albert to the Dolphins in exchange for a second-round pick. The Dolphins are without a left tackle after Jake Long left to join the St. Louis Rams in free agency. While the team selected Jonathan Martin with their second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, he struggled as a rookie and may be a better fit on the right side of the offensive line.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter compared the deal to the Darrelle Revis trade as a move that "has to happen." If the Dolphins were unable to acquire Albert, they would be in a difficult spot, as each of the top two left tackles are expected to go in the top five and Oklahoma's Lane Johnson could go shortly thereafter.
However, the Chiefs aren't the only team that has expressed interest in Albert, as XTRA 910's Mike Jurecki reported that the Arizona Cardinals also discussed a possible deal to acquire the offensive tackle.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that if a deal cannot be reached between the Dolphins and Chiefs, that the first-overall pick would likely be Eric Fisher instead of Luke Joeckel. Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride isn't too excited about the idea of Albert affecting the choice of the Chiefs, though:
Have the Chiefs really not decided yet who they'll take? I hope the future of Branden Albert, who will probably be on the team for one more year at the most, isn't a major factor in this. Albert is clearly on his way out. If he's not part of the future, he shouldn't be a significant factor in who the Chiefs choose No. 1 overall.
A first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Albert has started in 71 of 80 possible games during his five seasons with the Chiefs. After inconsistent play early in his career, Albert settled into his position and has been a solid player in recent seasons, earning consistently positive grades from football-grading site Pro Football Focus.
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