HEADLINES

Branden Albert

Dolphins Plan To Pursue Monroe, Albert

February 26th, 2014 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Overhauling the offensive line will be one of the Dolphins’ top priorities this offseason, and the team intends to get started on that process in free agency. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins like free-agent-to-be left tackles Eugene Monroe and Branden Albert, and plan to pursue both players in the hopes of landing one of the two.

Bryant McKinnie and Jonathan Martin handled left tackle duties for the Dolphins in 2013, and neither player was particularly effective, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). McKinnie will be eligible for free agency himself, and Martin is extremely unlikely to return to Miami following last season’s bullying scandal, so left tackle represents a major hole for the club. And as I suggested earlier this week, Monroe and Albert both qualify as first-tier options on this year’s free agent market.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that both Monroe and Albert even make it to free agency. A report from two weeks ago indicated that the Chiefs were likely to let Albert walk, but GM John Dorsey said last week that’s not necessarily the case, confirming that the team has talked to the veteran’s representatives. As for Monroe, he expressed last week that he’s not interested in accepting a discount to remain in Baltimore, but head coach John Harbaugh has still conveyed optimism about the two sides working something out.

With those two players high on their wish list, the Dolphins hope to land a left tackle in free agency, then address the right tackle position in the draft, according to Jackson, who notes that Notre Dame’s Zack Martin could be an option at No. 19 overall. Considering Richie Incognito and John Jerry certainly won’t return, Miami will also need to revamp its guard rotation, though it sounds like shoring up the outside of the offensive line ranks higher on the team’s to-do list than bolstering the inside.

AFC East Links: Jets, Dolphins, Albert

February 24th, 2014 at 10:08pm CST by Ben Levine

While various reports may claim the contrary, the Jets are a “realistic possible landing spot” for quarterback Michael Vick, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link). Rapoport cites the team’s desire for a veteran alternative to Geno Smith, as well as Vick’s connection to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. 

A few other notes from one of the Jets’ rivals in the AFC East…

  • The Dolphins and Brent Grimes continue to make progress, and the cornerback is “pretty optimistic” about returning to Miami, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Grimes also said that the franchise tag has not been brought up in negotiations.
  • In the same article, Jackson mentions that the Dolphins have not yet made offers to impending free agents Randy Starks or Paul Soliai. The team has expressed interest in bringing back both players, though.
  • The Dolphins have made signing offensive tackle Branden Albert a “high priority,” league sources told Ian Rapoport (via NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal). The Cardinals are also zeroing in on Albert.
  • Dolphins’ Philip Wheeler isn’t likely to be a casualty of the June 1st cut day, writes Ryan Feder of OverTheCap.com.

AFC Notes: Pouncey, Chiefs, Satele, McGlynn

February 22nd, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Matt Feminis
    • “The Ted Wells report most likely saved the Dolphins a lot of money when it comes to Mike Pouncey,” says ESPN.com’s James Walker. Pouncey is a 24-year-old Pro Bowler, but his part in the bullying of Jonathan Martin “is reason enough to deny Pouncey a long-term extension,” according to Walker, who believes rewarding Pouncey would send a bad message.
    • The Chiefs will not have to release any players for cap purposes, believes ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, who also says the team must retain two of the three starting offensive linemen scheduled to hit free agency: Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. Says Teicher: “[The Chiefs] might be able to get Schwartz and Asamoah for what they could pay Albert. That’s what makes the most sense. But I know Schwartz wants to be a starter (and get paid like one). I don’t blame him. He won’t come back for a backup job or backup money unless he can’t get better somewhere else. That’s true for Asamoah, too. So the Chiefs may be forced to choose between Schwartz and Asamoah and look elsewhere for their backups.”
    • Colts center Samson Satele did not get a ringing endorsement from GM Ryan Grigson, says ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Satele’s roster spot could be in jeopardy, as he struggled last season and counts $5.1MM against the 2014 salary cap. Additionally, Wells mentions some scouts think Mike McGlynn, a free agent-to-be, is a better option. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Khaled Holmes, a developmental center out of USC.

Chiefs Making Every Effort To Extend Smith

February 21st, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Chiefs GM John Dorsey confirmed earlier today that the team has reached out to Alex Smith‘s representatives about a new long-term contract for the starting quarterback. Speaking further to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Dorsey indicated that those discussions are ongoing. According to La Canfora, the Chiefs are putting “every effort” into locking up Smith to a long-term extension.

As Smith prepares to enter the final year of his current contract, the negotiations on a new deal should be interesting to follow. The 29-year-old’s current pact pays him about $9MM per year, and he has only strengthened his resumé since inking that deal, having led the 49ers and Chiefs to a combined 17-6-1 in his starts over the last two seasons. After setting career-highs in passing yards (3313) and touchdowns (23) in 2013, Smith looks poised to earn an eight-figure annual salary on his next deal, with a sizable chunk of guaranteed money. Still, with Smith currently set to earn a base salary of $7.5MM in 2014, an extension could reduce that number, benefiting the Chiefs by opening up a few million dollars in cap space.

In addition to discussing a new deal with Smith, the Chiefs haven’t dismissed the possibility of bringing back free agent tackle Branden Albert, according to Dorsey (link via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher). A report last week suggested Kansas City would let Albert walk, replacing him with in-house options, but Dorsey said that’s the first he’s heard of it.

“We have ongoing conversations with all of our unrestricted free agents,” Dorsey said. “It just so happens we’ve had conversations with Branden’s representatives, and that’s the beauty of the combine. Those guys are here. We will continue to have conversations with those representatives as the combine passes.”

Despite Dorsey’s comments, it’s unlikely that the team reaches an agreement to retain Albert, writes Teicher.

Chiefs To Let Branden Albert Walk

February 12th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs have made the decision to let left tackle Branden Albert walk in free agency, according to Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link). Parkins adds that Donald Stephenson and Eric Fisher will be the starting tackles for the Chiefs in 2014.

Albert, 29, has been in Kansas City since the team drafted him 15th overall in 2008, starting 83 of 85 games over the course of his seasons with the club. However, after using their first overall pick on Fisher in 2013, the Chiefs will likely have the 23-year-old protect Alex Smith‘s blind side in 2014, with Stephenson manning right tackle.

As for Albert, he finished the season as the 28th-best tackle in the NFL in Pro Football Focus’ estimation (subscription required), including 18th among left tackles. While that ranking doesn’t place him among the league’s very best, he’s still just 28 years old, so he’ll likely receive some lucrative offers in free agency from teams looking to improve their offensive lines. Previous reports have suggested that the Cardinals and Dolphins figure to be squarely in the mix for Albert’s services.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, English, Chiefs

February 9th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders have an impending salary cap quandary on their hands, according to Christopher Hansen of Bleacher Report. Due to language in the new collective bargaining agreement, teams must spend at least 89% of the salary cap for the 2013-2016 seasons. While the idea that the Raiders have over $60MM in cap space looks good on paper, this hides the fact that team must make up $16.4MM in spending over the next three seasons, while simultaneously meeting the 89% threshold. Compounding the problem is that the Raiders simply lack the type of quality players that the team could look to extend. This dilemma might force general manager Reggie McKenzie to eschew his policy, honed during his time with the Packers, of shunning big-name free agents.

Some other news from the AFC West:

  • Contrary to reports, Chargers linebacker Larry English will not become a free agent, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Team sources indicate English did not attain playing-time incentives required to allow him to void the final year of his contract. Instead, he will be paid $1.54MM. Of course, the Chargers could still release him, as he graded out poorly in Pro Football Focus’ rankings (subscription required).
  • The Chiefs could target receiver Jeremy Maclin, but can’t afford to get into a bidding war for him, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. Maclin played under Chiefs coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia.
  • Teicher also thinks the Chiefs will allow offensive tackle Branden Albert to leave via free agency, due to the presence of 2013 first-round pick Eric Fisher.
  • Former Broncos offensive assistant Jim Bob Cooter, hired as the Lions’ quarterbacks coach, will be difficult to replace, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

Arians On Cardinals’ Left Tackle Situation

February 1st, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians downplayed the idea that acquiring a left tackle to help protect quarterback Carson Palmer was a pressing need, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. While Arians noted that improving the blind side will be a priority, he said “it doesn’t have to be the highest.” “(Current left tackle) Bradley (Sowell) played OK, and he’s going to get better with another year of strength and conditioning,” said Arians.

Arians’ opinion that Sowell “played OK” seems to be without much validation. After taking over for the injured Levi Brown following the fourth week of the season, Sowell gave up seven sacks, 12 quarterback hits, and 40 quarterback hustles, leading to his being graded as the worst offensive lineman in football, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, as Weinfuss notes, Sowell did not allow a sack over the course of the final four games. Brown, meanwhile, was traded to the Steelers, meaning Sowell currently sits atop the depth chart.

Palmer has never been the most mobile of quarterbacks, meaning that the Cardinals’ left tackle position is even more crucial than it may be on other teams. If they do opt for improvement, Chiefs tackle Branden Albert may be the primary option, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports Radio 910. Albert played the 2013 season under the franchise tag, and Jurecki notes that Albert’s asking price in free agency will determine if the Cardinals draft a left tackle. Eugene Monroe of the Ravens and Jared Veldheer of the Raiders are also scheduled to hit free agency, and could interest the Cardinals.

The Cardinals hold the 20th pick in the first round, so potential options like Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews and Auburn’s Greg Robinson will likely be off the board. However, Taylor Lewan of Michigan and Zach Martin of Notre Dame present intriguing selections. Additionally, the Cardinals will have 2013 first-round guard Jonathan Cooper back in the fold after returning from a broken leg, which should help steady the line play.