AP

With the Chiefs considering a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to Miami in exchange for one of the Dolphins’ second-round draft picks, Kansas City has taken a big step toward getting a deal done by giving Albert permission to meet with the Dolphins.

Albert signed his one-year, $9.8 million tender offer as the Chiefs’ franchise player, which means he’s under contract and only permitted to talk to other teams if the Chiefs grant him that permission. And according to John Clayton of ESPN, that’s exactly what has happened: The Chiefs have given the Dolphins permission to talk to Albert, who lives in Miami, and he is expected to visit the Dolphins’ facility and take a physical.

The Dolphins are the only team that has received permission from the Chiefs to talk to Albert. Any team that would trade for Albert would surely want him to agree to a long-term contract first, so this week’s visit will presumably include negotiations with Albert’s agent in addition to a physical.

A high second-round pick is reportedly the price tag the Chiefs have put on Albert. The Dolphins have two second-round picks, their own (No. 42 overall) and the Colts’ (No. 54 overall).

Miami wants to upgrade at left tackle after losing Jake Long to the Rams. The top three left tackles in this year’s draft (Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson) are all likely to be off the board before the Dolphins’ first-round pick, No. 12 overall, comes up. So if the Dolphins are going to make that upgrade, trading for Albert is probably a better bet than relying on a rookie.