The Kansas City Chiefs put long-term contract talks on hold while they were discussing a potential trade with the Miami Dolphins leading up to and throughout the NFL Draft. After the Dolphins were unable to match the second-round compensation that Kansas City was hoping for, the two sides have called off the deal and Kansas City is once again looking to secure Albert with a long-term deal.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com:
From Total Access: I'm told parties view Branden Albert deal as "dead." Chiefs will now turn their attention to a long-term deal for Albert.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 1, 2013
The two sides will have until July 15 to agree.
It will be interesting to see whether the Chiefs will attempt to negotiate Albert’s contract as a left tackle or right tackle. With No. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher coming in to town, it would be tough to invest a lot of money in both tackles if one will be unhappy with the position.
On a bright note, new head coach Andy Reid values both tackle positions the same and both Albert and Fisher will be a big part of the team moving forward.