Posts tagged BrandenAlbert at FanHouse

Some six months ago, former Boston College standout Gosder Cherilus was considered one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL draft. The Lions would eventually take him with the 17th overall pick, the fifth offensive lineman to go off the board after Jake Long (1st), Ryan Clady (12th), Chris Williams (14th) and Branden Albert (15th).

Detroit didn't waste anytime getting Cherilus on the field; he's played in all five games, starting three of them. I suppose there isn't much time to learn by watching when the quarterback gets sacked (not to be confused with sacked) every other time he drops back to pass. (Note to Jon Kitna: there are ways to avoid taking career-shortening hits: throw the ball way, handoffs, run out the back of the end zone unprovoked, etc.)

Given that the Lions are their usual awful selves, nobody is entitled to anything. This has usually been nothing more than lip service until William Clay Ford woke up long enough to can Matt Millen, the guy responsible for setting the organization back 40 years.

Now, Kitna has been IR-ed, and Cherilus, presumably a cornerstone of the offense going forward, has been benched. And, no, head coach Rod Marinelli really doesn't want to talk about it (before he inevitably does just that):

Hey, look at that, the Steelers finally caught a break when it comes to the offensive line. Sure, it's not their o-line, but it could've been. The Chiefs second first-round pick, guard/tackle Branden Albert suffered a foot injury last week, hasn't practiced since, and the prognosis for the rest of preseason doesn't look so hot.

In fact, Albert says he'll need a "miracle" to play in a real live game before September, which sorta puts him behind in his battle to win a starting job. In other first-rounder news, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is also on the mend after suffering a knee injury during Saturday's Family Fun Night, which, presumably was much more fun for the families in attendance than it was for Dorsey or head coach Herm Edwards, who generally seems like a fun-loving guy.

If Chiefs fans are looking for a bright spot heading into tonight's preseason game against the undefeated Bears, there's always Dwayne Bowe. It also looks like rookie second-round pick, cornerback Brandon Flowers will start, and Edwards expects that to be the case from here on out.

That's one of the benefits to having the BEST DRAFT IN THE HISTORY OF TACKLE FOOTBALL: even when you lose a few players to injuries, there are plenty of other guys who can fill in the gaps.

Former LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was drafted fifth overall this off-season by the Kansas City Chiefs. Entering the NFL, I doubt Dorsey thought he enjoy an injury free career. Then again, I also highly doubt he was counting on the Chiefs annual "Family Fun Night" being the venue to witness his first professional malady.

That's right, Dorsey tweaked his knee Saturday at Family Fun Night. He will miss the first preseason game, but he's not alone in the KC rookie injury wagon:

" ... the Chiefs still think Dorsey's timetable is ahead of that of their other first-round draft pick, offensive tackle Branden Albert. Albert, who has a sprained foot, might not play at all in the preseason."

Ouch. You get two quality first round picks and they're going to miss time in their first training camp. It's not like the prospects for the Chiefs to make a playoff run were good (or even feasible), but things are already going poorly for Herm Edwards and company.

The best course of action is to be realistic and not take any chances whatsoever with either of these guys. They need to get reps on the field as the Chiefs look to build for the future, sure, but the reps need to be healthy ones.

KC will still play to win the game, I'm sure ... they just won't succeed much.

It's sorta surprising that three of the top four picks from April's NFL Draft are all under contract. More surprising: the Raiders' No. 4 pick, Darren McFadden, is included in this group, which means their won't be a holdout. That's different.

In addition to McFadden, the Falcons have signed Matt Ryan, the third-overall selection, and the Dolphins had Jake Long under contract days before the draft. Despite all the happy negotiating going on, the Kansas City Star's Adam Teicher writes that it doesn't necessarily suggest the Chiefs and their first first-rounder, Glenn Dorsey (taken fifth overall), are close to working out a deal.

President/general manager Carl Peterson said the Chiefs have been in contact with Dorsey's agent, Joel Segal. "We've had conversations, and that's all I can say," Peterson said. ...

Segal declined comment. But given the particulars of McFadden's contract, Segal might not be content with a marginal raise over the fifth pick of last year's draft, offensive tackle Levi Brown.

Teicher points out that the Chiefs have a spotty record when it comes to signing their first-round picks -- 11 of their 16 selections under Peterson have been late to camp, including 2007's Dwayne Bowe. Compounding matters: Kansas City had two first-rounders this April; in addition to Dorsey, they team also drafted offensive lineman Branden Albert.

So according to the laws of probability, based on Peterson's track record, there's roughly a nine percent chance both players are signed before training camp. Hey, it could happen.

When the Chiefs used their second first-round pick on Branden Albert, it was with the understanding that the Virginia guard would eventually make his way to tackle. The only question was how long would it take for him transition one position to his left.

Well, according to new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, the answer is simple: the minute Kansas City drafted Albert he became an NFL left tackle. Last month, Gailey explained how things were going to be.

"He sat me down and told me, 'You're going to play left tackle for us,' " Albert said Wednesday. "He was real stern about it. He said, 'You're going to play. You're going to get it.' "You've got to trust him. You've got to go with it."

Gailey's offense features a power running game and play-action passes; last year, the Chiefs ranked 11th in the NFL in passes attempted, something Gailey would like to get away from. (It's probably worth mentioning that Kansas City didn't set out to wing the ball all over the field, but when you routinely find yourself down early in a game, the offense becomes one-dimensional.)

A power running game is contingent on a cohesive offensive line and a capable running back. With Larry Johnson returning to form and the addition of Jamaal Charles, the running game looks set; the offensive line is currently another matter.

But Gailey aims to remedy that in training camp. Whether it actually happens is another issue, but if nothing else, Gailey has a solid track record as an offensive coordinator, which is something Mike Solari couldn't say. It's not a lot, but after a four-win 2007 season, it'll have to do.

I think we can all agree that the Chiefs had the best draft in the history of the world last month. After having close to 50 picks, Kansas City landed a starting lineman (Branden Albert), a potential Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Glenn Dorsey), a nickel back (Brandon Flowers), and a change-of-pace back to compliment Larry Johnson (Jamaal Charles).

Kansas City also added a humongous tight end (6-8 Brad Cottam) and a heady safety (DaJuan Morgan), and every one of these selections were made in the first three rounds.

But maybe the most important pick (or one of the most important -- it's hard to think anybody will overshadow the impact Dorsey should have) is Missouri's Will Franklin, drafted 105th overall.

Coming off a four-win season usually means a team has any number of needs. The Chiefs did a swell job of addressing most of them, but depth at wide receiver remained a huge question, even after Kansas City added 12 guys to the roster via the draft.

Last year's first-rounder, Dwayne Bowe, emerged as the team's only legit downfield threat a year ago, but the Chiefs may have found another young starter on the outside in Franklin:

Heading into the 2008 season, the Chiefs' have a lengthy to-do list, which isn't all that surprising since they managed to cobble together just four wins last year. They got off to a good start by having the best draft in the history of awesome drafts (head coach Herm Edwards was hoping to land 10 starters, he'll probably have to settle for a considerably smaller number).

The team's first first-round pick, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, should make an immediate impact, and their second first-rounder, guard Branden Albert, will likely be the Chiefs Week 1 starter ... at left tackle.

That's not completely shocking -- Albert shot up (mock) draft boards because of his versatility, and that's exactly what Kansas City is banking on. From the Kansas City Star's Adam Teicher:

Edwards wouldn't talk about his plans, but the Chiefs will probably line up with rookie Branden Albert at left tackle, Waters at left guard, Rudy Niswanger at center, Adrian Jones at right guard and Damion McIntosh at right tackle.

Arrowhead Pride is skeptical. Not so much as it relates to Albert -- everybody agrees that he'll get a lot of playing time -- but that Adrian Jones, the one-man sack machine/penalty generator, could be a starter, or that Damien McIntosh is anything more than an adequate backup.

Larry Johnson and Brodie Croyle can attest to the importance of having a competent offensive line, and capable unit can go a long way masking other weaknesses. Like, say, an inexperienced quarterback or a wide receiver corps that currently features one legit player.

Kansas City Chiefs 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (5): Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Round 1 (15): Branden Albert, OG, Virginia
Round 2 (35): Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
Round 3 (73): Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas
Round 3 (76): Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee
Round 3 (82): DaJuan Morgan, S, North Carolina State
Round 4 (105): Will Franklin, WR, Missouri
Round 5 (140): Brandon Carr, CB, Grand Valley State
Round 6 (170): Barry Richardson, OT, Clemson
Round 6 (182): Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State
Round 7 (210): Brian Johnston, DE, Gardner-Webb
Round 7 (239): Mike Merritt, TE, Central Florida

The Good: See all 12 picks above -- that's the good. Kansas City added value with every single selection they made, and addressed nearly every need they had. Glenn Dorsey was considered by some to be the number one player available, while Albert, Flowers, Cottam and Robinson (special teams) all add significant talent to positions in need. And what about the other nine players selected? They all have tremendous upside as well and each represented solid value at the position they were taken.

The Bad: Is there any? The Chiefs made 12 picks this past weekend and on paper, it looks like they made every single one of them count. If there's one knock on anyone, it's that Braden Albert will be a "work in progress." Still, that's hardly a negative for someone who figures to be a quality NFL starter for a very long time. Beyond that, the only other negative that presents itself was the failure to draft another quarterback.

The Grade: A. In comparison to the other 31 teams, Kansas City left Radio City Music Hall on top. They had a fantastic draft and appear to have secured a bright future. Although they may not make it to the playoffs this coming season, they've certainly given their fans something to be excited about.

Click here to read other draft grades.

The only question about Virginia's Branden Albert is whether he's a guard or a tackle in the NFL. At Virginia he played guard, where he was dominant, but NFL teams usually don't take guards this high in the draft, and that the Chiefs would trade up for him strongly indicates that he'll be a tackle in the NFL.

The above video was made by a fan hoping the Cowboys would take Albert, but that didn't happen, and it's actually surprising that he lasted until the 15th pick, which the Chiefs acquired in a trade with the Lions.

Previously on FanHouse:
FanHouse Mock Draft: Kansas City Chiefs Select OT Ryan Clady No. 5
Herm Edwards Wants the Chiefs to Have Every Pick in This Weekend's NFL Draft
Top-5 Picks Don't Go as Far as They Once Did
NFL Draft: Brian Brohm in the First Round?

And so the gossip keeps flying. Adam Schefter reported last night that the Saints have inquired about what it would take to move from their spot at 10 to the Rams' at two.

Schefter believes the Saints are eyeing Glenn Dorsey or Vernon Gholston. A trade involving Dorsey would seem more likely -- they love him, and if it only takes their second-rounder or perhaps their third and right tackle Jon Stinchcomb, who Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett drafted, it'd be worth it. But Gholston makes no sense. That rumor is based on defensive end Will Smith's hold out, but the Saints would have to pay Gholston comparable money to what Smith is seeking, and those slight savings aren't worth risking a Pro Bowler for an unproven rookie.

As far as the Rams are concerned, the deal makes more sense. If they're hell-bent on getting a tackle and Jake Long is gone, the Rams could save money and get Jeff Otah, Branden Albert, or Ryan Clady (or Stinchcomb). They could also grab Leodis McKelvin or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with rumors that Fakhir Brown will be suspended for the season, or even Devin Thomas to replenish their receiving corps.

All in all, I don't buy it. For one, if the Saints are positioning themselves to grab Dorsey ahead of division rival Atlanta, what would stop Atlanta from offering less and assuring the Rams a smaller drop? Secondly, Jim Haslett left New Orleans on very bad terms, and though he doesn't call the shots I'd be surprised if he'd hand the Saints a player he also covets, one that could help his own unit tremendously. File this as unlikely.