The Miami Dolphins made one of the biggest splashes of the NFL Draft in New York City over the weekend, as the etam traded into the third overall pick and selected Dion Jordan out of Oregon when many felt they would go after a lineman instead.
According to NFL.com, the Dolphins are still in talks with the Kansas City Chiefs about tackle Branden Albert, which is one reason why they did not go after Oklahoma's Lane Johnson with the pick. The team is hopeful they can work out a trade, but they are not leaving anything to chance, which is why they have been in talks with free agent tackle Eric Winston, who was cut by the Chiefs earlier in the year. Albert was expected to be moved before the draft, but things go hung up on compensation and salary.
The Chiefs are hopeful that they can trade Albert and the team took no chances itself, taking Eric Fisher with the number one overall pick to ensure themselves an elite left tackle whether the trade goes through or not. The Dolphins are in their position after letting Jake Long go in free agency and now the team would like to add another signing, as they did already with Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe.
According to Miami Herald's Adam Beasley, the Dolphins and Winston have been talking about a deal and that something could get done over the next week depending on what happens with Albert. The Chiefs released Winston to get back some cap space and knocked out his four-year, $22 million contract signed before the 2012 season.
Tennessee offensive tackle Dallas Thomas ended up being a draft pick for the Dolphins, but they would rather have a more immediate starter rather than the one OL prospect they drafted and on top of that many experts see him as a guard anyway, making a tackle acquisition a needy one. Jonathan Martin would fill in for the team if they can't get either player, but it appears as if the Dolphins will get either Albert or Winston by the time the training camp season starts.
