Andy Reid Say Eric Fisher Will Play Right Tackle, Branden Albert Left Tackle
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs may have used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft on LT Eric Fisher but the rookie will begin his career at RT, according to Andy Reid.
Reid did an interview today on SiriusXM NFL Radio today and told Rich Gannon and Bruce Murray that Fisher will indeed play RT.
“Well, yeah, that’s right. I’m gonna play the five best guys,” said Reid. “You saw me do that with Shawn Andrews in Philadelphia. Shawn Andrews was as good an offensive lineman as I’ve ever seen at the college level and then he came to the pros and he was the same thing. He was one of the best I’ve ever coached, now, as far as being athletic and being a football player.MWell, we had two veteran tackles who were two pretty stinking good players and so we put Shawn at guard and he ended up being a Pro Bowler there.”
Reid also talked a bit about how the team tried to trade Albert prior to the draft.
“We allowed Albert’s people to talk and look and do that whole thing and it didn’t work out one way or the other,” Reid said. “And so, you never know, I mean, in this business you’d love to say that he’d be here or not be here, one of the two, but I know he’s a good kid, I know he’s a hard worker and I know he’s a good left tackle. So that gives us a whole lot of flexibility and if he was here today he would be the left tackle. And then we go from there and we just see what happens down the road.”
Reid is being pretty clear here. If the Chiefs get a decent enough offer for Albert, they are still willing to trade him. If they can’t get a good deal for him, then Reid is prepared to keep Albert at LT and play Fisher at RT.
There have also been reports that the Chiefs are trying to work a long-term deal with Albert. That may be true, but talking about it is one thing and doing it is another. Albert wants top dollar and the Chiefs may not be able to afford him.
Then again, Albert will be rolling the dice a bit if he gets injured playing this year. If the Chiefs offer him a decent deal now, Albert can lock in and do so knowing that for now at least, the Chiefs don’t plan to move him out of the LT position.