What To Do With Branden Albert?
Albert will be the lynch pin to all moves affecting the O-Line this off-season
The Miami Dolphins are jammed packed with important decisions that will play a crucial role in the successful of the 2017 season.
One of these critical decisions is, what to do with Left Tackle Branden Albert?
Albert has a salary cap hit in 2017 is $10.6 million with $3.4 million being dead cap money, which means if Miami does decide to part ways with Albert they would save themselves $7.2 in salary cap space.
The first major consideration in this decision has to be the fact that Albert has not played in a full 16 game season during his 4 years with Miami.
Actually, he has only played a full 16 game season once in his 9 year career.
He has always been injured and likely always will be.
So, does Miami want to give a player $10.6 million dollars that in all likelihood will not compete in 16 full games?
Albert is at the tail-end of his career and is being paid like he is at his high point
In addition, Miami does have the luxury of having Albert’s replacement already on the roster in Laremy Tunsil, who played well last year.
There is no question that he is going to eventually be the Dolphins starting Left Tackle.
The question is, will it be next season?
It doesn’t take a Pro pay per head bookie genius to understand that $10 million is way too much money to spend on a player that can’t stay healthy and is on a hard decline.
PhinsNews.com did this analysis Albert’s 2016 Preseason performance a few months back. The audio is cheesy — for sure, but the points made are not:
Albert didn’t have a good season, and the indications of this showed early. He rebounded some, but not back to his 2015 form.
His play is very likely to get worse this year.
Branden knows Tunsil is the future, it’s time Miami realized Albert is the past
So, since there is already a cheaper and younger replacement on the roster that you invested the 13th pick on, it’s time to move on from Albert.
I have always liked Branden Albert: good guy and a good player. He’s still a real good guy, but he is no longer good player. Yes, he brings commitment and leadership, but is that worth 10 million?
No way.
Mike Tannenbaum and the the Front Office could take the 7.2 million and get a true Guard, or maybe even kick a little more into the kitty and make a move to get Chance Warmack or Kevin Zeitler. Both are excellent players with good records of health.
An offensive line is often as successful as their consistency. O-Line play is a highly coordinated operation, and chemistry built over time, gained from playing together as a unit, is a huge component of this.
Miami needs to finally fix the O-Lines failures in consistency to at least get it performing competently — much less excel. This isn’t going to happen with Albert due to his price tag, injury history and declining performance. Go Fins!!!
…every NFL player eventually runs into a physical wall where their on-field value depreciates to the point that they have to be replaced for the sake of the team …good guy, bad guy, locker room guru …doesn’t matter at all
…Albert was an outstanding LT for a piss poor franchise …but he hit the dreaded wall last year …he should take his money and retire before his body is beyond redemption …but be it retire, cut, or trade, he’s done in Miami …imnsho
…Tunsil is our LT for the next few years …James the RT, he has had better years but then he’s also had better line help …Pouncy remains the C when healthy but they need to find his replacement and its not on the current roster …none of the Guards on the roster are going to solve the problem at LG/RG …it needs to be fixed in FA …fixed, not patched
…they need to put 5 OL on the field who can start …and finish …16 games …together
…they need individual skill and talent but more than anything they need to play together as a group …the constant changes, regardless of individual player quality per se, was the most damning factor in our OL play this past season …imnsho
Yeah, Lemmus. I wanted Osemele last year in a big way. This year it’s Warmack and Zeitler…they need to get one by using the money saved from letting Albert go. Then get so back end talent in FA, find a good one in the second and try to find some gems in the FA of salary cuts and draft picks…they need full press on this one. It will be hard as they need two premium chips after that in DE and LB, but a nice FA G pick up will make a world of difference in getting this Herculean task done.
It is not that complicated or difficult, Sorry but, Cut him. Clear up 7.5 million, slide Tunsil there. Use that 7.5+ million and sign/target 2 guards; how about Leary of Dallas (28 years old), Pasztor – Browns (26), Lang – Packers (29), Warford – Lions (26), Omameh – Jaguars (27), Winters – Jets (26). What the heck our old buddy John Jerry – Giants (31) actually has turned into a decent guard (thank Philbin & Ireland for their lack of recognition). Any one of the 2 combos will improve our line, and the right combo could put our line (Pouncey included) in top 10 neighborhood.
I like Albert, he is a good locker room guy, has been good when on the field, but the key word here is “when”. He just can’t stay on the field and his replacement is already on the roster. Health, Salary, Age, Performance all adds up. Pretty simple. Use his salary and get our guards prior to the draft. Thus, we can focus on the defensive side of the ball along with a TE.
Pretty much summed it up, but due to his respect in the locker room and the fact that you don’t have anyone to fill — only hopes and projections — it’s does make it slightly less than obvious…only slightly. Miami wouldn’t commit to Tunsil not moving to T in some interviews as they did in the past, so that appears writing on the wall.
Sad but True