According to a report in the New York Times, Albert was at the Juliet Supper Club in New York City just after 2am Tuesday morning when a man was shot and killed.  The tackle was among several professional athletes there, including former Chiefs (and now former Eagles) safety Jarrad Page.

A NYPD spokesman said there are no indications that any of the athletes in attendance had anything to do with the shooting which also left two others wounded.  Still, the city’s police commissioner, Raymond Kelly said that the club “has had shootings in the past”.

In addition to Albert and Page, there were at least five Giants players present to celebrate the birthday of WR Victor Cruz as well as NBA stars John Wall, Kemba Walker, Russell Westbrook and others.

The Chiefs had Tuesday off and Albert was said to be at practice Wednesday.

“If you look at the history of New England and how they’ve built their roster, they just in general have not drafted tackles very highly,” Nawrocki said.  “Bill Belichick has been able to conceal the shortcomings with his edge blockers by providing a lot of (help from backs and tight ends).  It’s just the way they scheme them.

“One thing that’s very clear is that there’s a need.  I thought they should have addressed it last year in the draft.  I think Barry Richardson has been a solid guy.  I think he’s very committed. He’s not great and wasn’t drafted highly and may not have a big name but he’s been a solid player and I think they feel fairly comfortable with him there.

“They trust (Albert) on that left side.  The issues have been more about being able to control his weight and staying disciplined than any issue about the talent.  I think they feel comfortable there.  Could they draft a tackle?  Absolutely.  It’s all going to be a function of what type of talent is available on the board at the time they come up.”

This whole first round situation is fascinating.  Following three years of the Chiefs drafting in the top five and there being such little doubt surrounding who the pick will be right before the draft, this year is a welcome change.  Not just because it means there was a winning team in Kansas City, but also how the team controls so little regarding just which players will be available at No. 21.

If Pioli has it in his mind that there’s no need to draft an offensive lineman in the first round, specifically a right tackle, then that has to increase the likelihood of trading back and picking up more picks.  However, before you assume anything about Pioli’s thinking, remember that he wouldn’t ever take a safety with the fifth pick in the draft.  Turns out, if it’s the right player then it’s the right player.

It wouldn’t be the Kansas City Chiefs offseason without someone wondering about moving LT Branden Albert to the right side in favor of a rookie.  The latest is ESPN’s Bill Williamson when asked if the Chiefs might select Mississippi State’s Derek Sherrod.

I think it’s a possibility.  There are several terrific pass-rushers available, so I think the Chiefs could go that way.  Chiefs coach Todd Haley recently hinted he could look for a left tackle.  That would mean Branden Albert would likely move to right tackle.  So, it’s an option.  But if I had to guess, Albert will get one more year to show he can be the starter at left tackle and the Chiefs will grab a pass-rusher in the first round.

There is no one leading the charge for the Chiefs to draft an offensive tackle in the first round than I am.  There are an abundance of quality tackles and at least one will be available for Scott Pioli at No. 21.  But for anyone that is following me here, that doesn’t mean that a first round pick should automatically be slotted on the left side.

Even with Albert’s experience, shifting him would force him to learn a completely new position.  It’s not as easy as just flipping a switch and all of a sudden he is a good right tackle.  That means entering camp — yes, whenever that may be — the Chiefs offense would be dealing with inexperience at both tackle positions.

If you believe Sherrod — or any of the available tackles — would be a better fit long-term on the left side, then that’s a different argument.  The team can only make this move if they are convinced that the first round pick will protect the blind side for the next decade.  Shuffling the line for the sake of shuffling could hurt the team this year and put them in a position to try and go through this all over again in a year or two.

The team had 12 selections, and made the most of the team.  That includes five players who were regular starters last season: Glenn Dorsey (No. 5 overall), offensive tackles Branden Albert (No. 15) and Barry Richardson (No. 170), and cornerbacks Brandon Flowers (No. 35) and Brandon Carr (No. 140).

What has helped some of those players develop quickly was the chance to play from Day One.  The Chiefs were in the early stages of a youth movement.

There was also one notable “second-string” player: Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, quite a steal in the third round (No. 73).

With no league business going on right now, there’s no better time to take a look back at the 2008 draft.  Just a few days ago PFF placed Charles and Flowers on their All-2008 Draft team.

Just imagine how far along Charles would be right now if he had been given more than those 67 carries his rookie season.

Finishing right behind the final class from Herm Edwards and Carl Peterson is the first one of Scott Pioli’s good friend Thomas Dimitroff with the Atlanta Falcons.  The only thing that is likely to push the Falcons ahead of the Chiefs is if Charles takes any sort of step backwards and Matt Ryan continues to improve and elevates himself to Brady-level.

Doubtful

Brandon Flowers (hamstring)

Questionable

Branden Albert (groin)
Ryan Lilja (foot)
Dexter McCluster (ankle)
Jon McGraw (head)
Tony Moeaki (head)

All questionable players outside of McGraw were full participants in practice on Friday afternoon. McGraw was listed as limited.

It’s not exactly a secret that being without Flowers is going to make it awfully tough on the Chiefs defense.  Todd Haley talked Friday about not necessarily moving Javier Arenas from nickel to the outside, which means veteran Travis Daniels or completely untested Ricky Price.  I understand the theory of not wanting to weaken two spots, but I think you have to move Arenas.  You’re just asking for trouble to put someone that’s been playing strictly special teams on the field for every defensive snap.

The group of questionable players will all have an impact if they are ready to go.  I would expect Albert and Lilja to suit up, but McCluster, McGraw and Moeaki are all bigger question marks.

The Kansas City offense hasn’t been quite the same since McCluster went down with his ankle sprain and he has been active in practice, it’s just so hard for a guy that relies on elusiveness to play with that sort of injury.  Moeaki and McGraw not only have to convince their bodies that they are ready to contribute, but also then show the doctors that they should be cleared.  The NFL is not going to take any chances when it comes to head injuries, meaning if there’s any question about lingering effects of a concussion, that player is staying on the sidelines.

The Kansas City Chiefs may be without CB Brandon Flowers when they take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but there were some promising signs on Thursday’s injury report.  Two rookies look like they could return to the lineup and a key veteran was upgraded.

Did Not Participate
Brandon Flowers (ankle)

Limited Participant
Branden Albert (groin)
Ryan Lilja (foot)
Jon McGraw (head)

Full Participant
Dexter McCluster (ankle)
Tony Moeaki (head)

McCluster is acting a lot like a player ready to go, but Nick Wright is reporting that the electric rookie is “likely” to be out once again.  It will be very interesting to see if he lines up on Sunday and if he does just how much he looks like the same guy we saw out of the gate this season.

The defensive backfield will continue to be an issue this week.  Kendrick Lewis is still fully healthy and Jon McGraw was upgraded which shows he is progressing and could help out at safety.  However, all signs point to Flowers sitting out, which will be felt not only outside with Javier Arenas stepping in, but also in the slot where either Donald Washington, Jackie Bates or Travis Daniels will have to cover the nickel.

Albert and Lilja missing the game would push Barry Richardson to left tackle, Ryan O’Callaghan to right tackle and rookie Jon Asamoah would step up at right guard.  The Seahawks were tough against the run early in the season but have shown they could be had as of late.  Playing musical chairs along the offensive line isn’t going to help the Chiefs in their effort to exploit the recent weaknesses in Seattle’s rush defense and right now neither looks like a lock to be active Sunday.

“Just keep working hard,” the former University of Virginia star said.  “Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do anything.  I had a lot of people growing up who didn’t think I was going to be anything.

“It ended up working out for me being something.  Everybody can be something.  You don’t have to be a pro athlete to be something.  As long as you are doing something positive with your life, you are somebody.”

While the kids were most excited about the free pizza and other treats, Albert’s talk about hard work was heard.

“I want to be just like him.  I want to be a football player,” said Kyle Nevison, 14, an East eighth-grader.  “It makes me want to play more, play harder.  It makes me want to play football all day.

It was expected the Chiefs might take a tackle in this year’s draft to alleviate the pressure on Albert, who played guard in college.  When they took Tennessee safety Eric Berry at No. 5, Albert knew he was given a vote of confidence.

“I am working on mental focus,” he said.  “A lot of the things that were hindering me at the beginning of the season were mental, it wasn’t physical.  This year I am more in tune with the offense.  I am just ready to help our team win.  That is my main goal this year.”

It’s hardly surprising considering he has had Brian Waters as an example, but it’s good to see Albert continue to get out and work in the community.

And it doesn’t matter much what you or I think about how Albert played last season, however it is always worth noting that the Chiefs had the ability to draft the one player (Russell Okung) that seemingly every team but the Redskins had rated as the best tackle in the draft.

Knowing that the team has to take a huge step forward along the offensive line, Todd Haley and Scott Pioli are convinced that Albert will get the job done this season.  The entire offense should be watched closely with hopefully the scheme being more familiar, but when it comes to the line all eyes will be on Albert.

Branden Albert, left tackle, Kansas City: This is Albert’s third year with the Chiefs, who took him with the No. 15 overall pick in 2008.  He was inconsistent as a rookie, but he made improvements as last season went on.  If he continues to make strides, he should be fine.  Kansas City gave him a big vote of confidence when it didn’t take left tackle Russell Okung in the first round of the draft this year and move Albert to right tackle.  Kansas City selected safety Eric Berry instead with the No. 5 pick.

Glenn Dorsey, defensive lineman, Kansas City: Dorsey probably shouldn’t be on this list anymore.  The No. 5 overall pick in 2008 was expected to already be an established stud going into his third season.  While Dorsey has played well occasionally, he has been far from a dominant player.  Many scouts and coaches thought he was the top player in the 2008 draft, but he has been a big disappointment.  He has had two different coaching staffs in the past two seasons and had a hard time adjusting to the 3-4 defense in 2009.  He may be moved around the defensive line this year as the Chiefs try to find the best spot for him.  He must perform this season or it could be his last in Kansas City.

Even with his inconsistent play last season, I’m not too worried about Albert’s future.  He showed down the stretch of last season that he was really starting to fully grasp his position and will only be helped by having two more experienced guys — Ryan Lilja and Casey Wiegmann — around him in practice everyday in addition to Brian Waters.

Dorsey, like Albert, showed as the season went along that he could be an impact player.  Considering how poorly his season started out of the gate in training camp, it has to be a good sign heading into St. Joseph.  Short of Dorsey taking several considerable steps backwards, it’s hard to believe that this would be his last year with the Chiefs.

Obviously both players have a new coordinator they need to impress, but after getting on board with last season’s extreme regime change, this should be a much easier transition for Albert and Dorsey.

8. Branden Albert, Kansas City, T: Albert is a work in progress. But he is a talented player.  The Chiefs clearly think he can be the answer at left tackle or they would have taken Russell Okung instead of safety Eric Berry at No. 5 last month.

10. Casey Wiegmann, Kansas City, C: Wiegmann may be aging, but expect him to help toughen the Chiefs’ offensive line with his return in 2010.

11. Brian Waters, Kansas City, G: Still, a very formidable player.  Waters is a pro’s pro.  He’s very steady.  He’ll be a big reason why the Chiefs will run the ball well this season.

12. Ryan Lilja, Kansas City, G: He is another reason why Kansas City will be much better on the offensive line.  He’s a rugged player.

Some curious choices here.  Even with the recent struggles of the Chiefs and Raiders, they couldn’t put anyone in the top 7?

I love what Wiegmann brings to the table and if he’s healthy I think he will end up starting for the Chiefs in 2010, but it’s hard having him on this list with Rudy Niswanger currently getting more snaps ahead of him.  At the very least you have to put Waters and Lilja — proven, current starters — before Wiegmann.

The Kansas City Chiefs opened up their offseason workouts without Brian Waters for the second year in a row on Monday and The Star’s Adam Teicher talked to the Chiefs guard about his absence.  They also talked about Branden Albert and the on going debate about moving him to the right side.

”Branden got the worst rap out of anybody on our football team over the last two years.  Without a shadow of a doubt, he’s a left tackle.”

”This negative tone I’ve been hearing about him not being able to play tackle, moving to guard . . . Moving him to guard is totally ridiculous, to be honest with you.  Moving him to right tackle to me would be the worst thing for him as well because if you draft a tackle up high and bring him in and (move Albert to right tackle), then basically you’ve got two new guys.  You’re basically starting him over and then you’ve also got a rookie.  I don’t think that would be in the best interest for him and the team as well.”

Most of Waters’ comments are your run of the mill defending of a teammate.  But that last part is what a lot of people have been trying to stress: switching sides of the line is not like flipping a switch.

If the Chiefs spend next year with Russell Okung at left tackle and Albert at right tackle, Matt Cassel will be playing behind the equivalent of rookie tackles.  Even the most optimistic fan couldn’t feel confident about next season with uncertainty on both sides of the line.

I’m not saying Albert can’t succeed at right tackle or his natural position of guard.  And I’m certainly not saying Scott Pioli should avoid Okung or any other tackle with the fifth pick in the draft.  But it’s important to realize that if he does go in the direction we won’t see the results for a couple of seasons.