Branden Albert Signs With Miami Dolphins
By Ben Nielsen
Dec 1, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tackle Branden Albert (76) defends against Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) at Arrowhead Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
As expected, Branden Albert is leaving the Kansas City Chiefs and has signed a lucrative deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Branden Albert’s deal with the #Dolphins is expected to be more than $9M over five years. He’s driving over soon for a physical
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2014
Former Chiefs OT Branden Albert reached agreement on a 5-yr, $46M deal including $25M GTD with the Miami Dolphins.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2014
We had a pretty good idea Albert was not going to re-sign with the Chiefs a few days ago so this move was a foregone conclusion. Early indication suggests Eric Fisher will move to the left side of the line and Donald Stephenson will play right tackle. This is unless the Chiefs make an unexpected free agent move or draft an offensive tackle in the first round.
Curiously, Kansas City’s offensive line played better with Albert out of the lineup the last month of the season. That line featured Stephenson at left tackle and Fisher at right tackle. The only potential missing piece from that line would be Geoff Schwartz, who is expected to leave via free agency.
Albert was a first-round selection of the Chiefs in 2008 by then general manager Carl Peterson. The pick used to select Albert came from the trade that sent Jared Allen to to the Minnesota Vikings. During his time in KC, Albert made one Pro Bowl and was an above-average left tackle. He was also the only consistent part of the offensive line over the last five seasons as the Chiefs have seen a ton of turnover from the unit since SCOTT PIOLI arrived in Kansas City.
The battle at left tackle between Stephenson and Fisher begins now.