The San Diego Chargers were one of the teams that were a possible destination for Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Branden Albert, but with news of the team allowing the Dolphins to talk to him, chances are he will not be heading west, making the Chargers focus on the draft at the end of the month.
According to ESPN.com, the Chiefs have given permission to the Miami Dolphins to start talking to Albert, who was signed to a franchise tag deal by the Chiefs, although he has not shown up for voluntary offseason workouts while he is frustrated without a long-term deal. Albert expressed that he would not like to move to the right side and chances are he will be dealt ahead of the draft.
The Chiefs feel they can get an NFL-ready left tackle with the number one overall pick in Luke Joeckel or Eric Fisher and the Dolphins have a two second round picks, which is what the Chiefs are looking for after dealing one to the 49ers in the Alex Smith trade. Miami makes sense for Albert too, as he has a home there, and the Dolphins are also in the market for a left tackle after letting Jake Long go to the Rams and Albert could slide right in.
The Dolphins may also be getting worried about losing out on the top three tackles in the draft, as they are at 12 and the Chargers at 11 easily could take Lane Johnson, who they have also been targeting. The pick would leave them without Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher or Johnson, which is why the trade talk may be heating up. The Chargers were impressed with Johnson during his pro day and he put up solid numbers at the combine, making him an attractive selection.
Some other draft options for the Chargers under new head coach Mike McCoy includes Tavon Austin at wide receiver, Jonathan Cooper at guard, as well as Tyler Eifert at tight end. The team also could select tackle DJ Fluker if they lose out on Johnson, but with the Dolphins making a trade for Albert, that also means they will not move down to select Johnson or Fisher.
The Chargers were ranked 24th in passing yards per game last season and 27th in rushing, while the defense ranked 18th in passing yards per game. The team was sixth in rushing defense based on yards per game, but they finished 7-9 in the AFC West and out of the playoffs.