Branden Albert

Extra Points: Jets, Pryor, Steelers, Lewis

April 29th, 2017 at 9:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets were said to be looking for a Calvin Pryor buyer, but the team now may be backing off that pursuit. GM Mike Maccagnan said he “doesn’t see any reason” why the Jets can’t retain Pryor, despite having selected safeties in each of the first two rounds of this draft (Twitter link, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News). Pryor is entering his fourth season and the Jets have until Wednesday to decide if they will pick up his fifth-year option. The selections of Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye certainly make that unlikely. A 2014 first-rounder, the hard-hitting safety is set to make a guaranteed $2.74MM this season.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

A Steelers/Keenan Lewis reunion does not look to be in the works. A visit to Pittsburgh concluded with Lewis leaving the team’s facility. As Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette puts it (Twitter link), the cornerback doesn’t have “any further interest” in a Steelers deal. That is somewhat interesting since the soon-to-be 31-year-old Lewis hasn’t played in the NFL since 2015 and hasn’t played a season without major injury trouble since 2014. But it appears the former Steelers and Saints corner will continue his comeback hopes elsewhere.
Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell sees Cam Robinson as a left tackle, as Hays Carlyon of 1010XL writes. It’s an interesting statement considering that the Jaguars acquired Branden Albert in a trade with Miami earlier this offseason. So far, Albert has not shown up for voluntary workouts and has not touched base with coach Doug Marrone, so the team could be trying to send him a message by slotting Robinson for the outside.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jags Notes: Bortles, Marrone, Albert, Draft

April 22nd, 2017 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are undecided on Blake Bortles‘ fifth-year option, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports. But the Jacksonville-based writer notes that had the new-look Jags decision-making group planned to exercise it, word would have gotten out by now. The team has until May 3 to pick up the 2018 option, which could be worth as much as $18MM.

“We’re still discussing that,” Jags GM Dave Caldwell said. “There are a lot of things that go into it.”

Bortles has not shown himself to be what the Jags envisioned when they used the No. 3 overall pick on him, making Bortles the franchise’s second top-10 quarterback of the decade after Blaine Gabbert, and the current embattled starter’s play regressed last season. Caldwell said before the franchise established its new power structure that the next coach wouldn’t have to start Bortles this season, but he backtracked on that later in the winter, saying the fourth-year player was going to be the team’s quarterback. O’Halloran doesn’t expect the team to exercise the option, meaning the 25-year-old passer would be in a contract year.

Here’s the latest out of Jacksonville, courtesy of O’Halloran.

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi believed the decision on Bortles has been made, telling O’Halloran the Jaguars are going to begin the potentially looming breakup in this draft. “[Tom] Coughlin’s going to draft a quarterback,” said Lombardi, who now works for The Ringer. “… Look, there are some times when we’re all better off saying, ‘We screwed that up. We really blew that. We have to admit we made a mistake.’ He has to be a guy they have to replace. This is the perfect draft to do it.” The Jags have Bortles, Chad Henne and Brandon Allen under contract, but the top two on the depth chart are only signed through 2017. Bortles represented the Jags admitting a mistake three years about Gabbert, and this draft would represent the same time span from when Bortles arrived. Of course, it would be somewhat of a surprise if the Jags went with a quarterback at No. 4 overall considering their recent history with such passers.
Doug Marrone has attempted to contact recent trade acquisition Branden Albert, but in a somewhat puzzling development the presumptive left tackle starter has not gotten back to him. “I have not had any communication with him [this week], which is a surprise,” Marrone said, via O’Halloran. “I don’t know what his thoughts are going forward. Obviously, it’s voluntary, but I was surprised that I didn’t receive a call back from him.” The 32-year-old Albert has not reported to his new team’s workouts yet. He’s holding out for a new contract, presumably one with more guaranteed money on it. Albert has two years remaining on his Dolphins-designed deal. That pact stands to pay the former Pro Bowler $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in ’18. The Jags have more than $51MM in cap space.
Coughlin provided some cryptic answers on his first draft since returning to north Florida, but the former Jags and Giants HC said the team is open to moving down from No. 4 overall. This could be relevant if the Jags want to stockpile picks, because the Browns are believed to be debating a move from their No. 12 pick back into the top 10 to take Mitch Trubisky. That is, if they don’t select him No. 1 overall, which is under consideration as well. This marks the sixth straight year Jacksonville has held a top-five pick.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Dolphins, Jaguars

April 17th, 2017 at 5:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr isn’t signed beyond next season, but it doesn’t appear he’ll go into 2017 without long-term security. Carr’s agent, Tim Younger, and Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie have been discussing an extension “for months,” Carr told reporters Monday. Those talks have been “super positive,” added Carr, who hopes a deal comes together by training camp (Twitter links via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). Carr, who tossed 28 touchdowns and six interceptions last season to help the Raiders break their 14-year playoff drought, is in line to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid signal-callers.

More from Oakland and two other AFC cities:

The fact that wide receiver Jarvis Landry was on hand for the start of the Dolphins’ voluntary program Monday bodes well for his chances of receiving an extension because it shows that he’s committed to the team, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins entered the offseason planning to extend Landry, and Salguero relays that his agent and the club have since spoken “at least a dozen times on the matter.” A new deal would make the 24-year-old Landry the Dolphins’ richest wideout – surpassing Kenny Stills‘ four-year, $32MM contract ($20MM guaranteed) – and could materialize by June, per Salguero.
Newly acquired Jaguars left tackle Branden Albert is holding out of team activities in hopes of landing a new contract, but Joel Corry of CBS Sports doubts he’ll stay away for much longer. Albert would lose $40K for each day of training camp missed, and the Jaguars will have the ability to recoup his signing bonus if his holdout lasts long enough. Should Jacksonville trade Albert, the acquiring team would receive those recoupment rights (Twitter links).
Houston edge rusher Tyus Bowser is currently visiting the Raiders, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Bowser, who racked up 22.5 sacks during his 43-game college career, could pique the Raiders’ interest in the first round, in which they’re slated to pick 24th.
The Jaguars hosted Temple edge defender Haason Reddick on Monday, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who wonders if Reddick’s stock has risen enough that he could be a top five pick. Jacksonville’s set to select fourth overall, though it could simply be doing its due diligence on Reddick and hoping he falls to No. 35 (the Jags’ second-rounder).

Branden Albert Holding Out For New Deal

April 17th, 2017 at 9:31am CST by Dallas Robinson

New Jaguars left tackle Branden Albert has not reported for team meetings today and is holding out for a new contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Albert, of course, was nearly released by the Dolphins earlier this year before Miami worked out a trade to send him to Jacksonville for minimal draft pick compensation. That deal became official when the new league year began in March, but was supposed to be contingent on Albert agreeing to report. Albert was reportedly discussing his contract with Jaguars brass in February, but it appears a solution was not fully hammered out.

Albert, 32, is under contract through the 2018 campaign. The Dolphins absorbed on his remaining prorated bonus money via the trade, but the Jaguars are scheduled to pay Albert $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in 2018. None of that money is guaranteed, but Jacksonville presumably haggled over the issue when negotiating the trade conditions with Albert.

Contractually, the Jaguars have little reason to give in to Albert’s demands, except for one glaring fact — they need Albert to be their starting left tackle. Albert wasn’t great in 2016 as he struggled with injuries throughout the season, but he’s the best option Jacksonville has on the blindside.

AFC Notes: Jags, Broncos, Chiefs, Browns

February 24th, 2017 at 7:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jaguars vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin said Friday he “doesn’t see any reason” why the team’s trades with the Dolphins involving tight end Julius Thomas and left tackle Branden Albert would fall through before they become official March 9. That indicates Albert has passed a physical with the Jags, notes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Thomas has also passed his with Miami). As for free agency, with upward of $70MM in cap space, Coughlin expects the Jaguars “to be very competitive” in bidding for outside help.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Before defensive tackle Earl Mitchell agreed to a deal with the 49ers on Friday, the Broncos offered him a three-year contract featuring a $4.5MM salary in 2017, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). He ended up with a four-year, $16MM pact that includes $5.5MM next season.
Kansas City could pursue soon-to-be former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in the coming weeks, but it would be unwise to regard the Chiefs as one of the favorites for his services, argues Adam Teichner of ESPN.com. If the Chiefs were to fail in an attempt to reel in Romo, they’d risk causing irreparable damage to their relationship with Smith, opines Teichner. Considering that, the Chiefs might only get involved in the Romo sweepstakes if they’re sure they’re going to come out on top.
The Browns could turn to quarterback Tyrod Taylor in free agency if the Bills release him, and after studying tape of the dual threat, Dan Labbe of cleveland.com contends that he’s “no less intriguing” than much-ballyhooed New England backup Jimmy Garoppolo. By opting for Taylor, the Browns would save the premium in draft picks they’d have to pay for Garoppolo – whom they’d nonetheless prefer to acquire – and would still have the option of selecting a QB to develop behind Taylor, Labbe writes.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski doesn’t expect the back injury that kept him out of the Patriots’ lineup from late November onward, including for their Super Bowl-winning playoff run, to limit him in 2017. Gronkowski told ESPN on Friday that there’s “no doubt” he’ll be ready for Week 1. Longer term, the 27-year-old said earlier this month he’d like to play at least six more years, though he wasn’t willing on Friday to put a number on how much longer he’ll last. “I mean, I still love playing the game, and as of right now, I want to play as long as I possibly could play,” Gronkowski said. “My mindset is to keep on going” (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI).

Dolphins, Jags Agree To Swap Branden Albert, Draft Pick

February 20th, 2017 at 6:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The possibility of the Dolphins acquiring Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas for left tackle Branden Albert is now off the table, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. However, the Dolphins have agreed to send Albert to the Jags in a separate deal, per Salugero, which will net Miami a 2018 seventh-round pick, tweets Albert Breer of The MMQB.com.

In order for the trade to become official, the Jaguars will need Albert to agree to report, according to Salguero. Before that happens, the Jags and Albert’s representation will continue discussing his contract status. Albert himself will have dinner tonight with Jacksonville’s front office, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds the two sides will discuss his deal on Tuesday if all goes well.

The two sides have been in talks regarding Albert’s deal the past “several days,” writes Salguero, who adds that Jacksonville seems prepared to take on the rest of his pact and possibly even extend it. The 32-year-old Albert is currently signed through 2018 and set to count upward of $10MM against the salary cap in both seasons. By moving on from Albert, the Dolphins would free up $7.2MM in spending room.

As for Thomas, he could still end up with the Dolphins, tweets Rapoport, but their efforts to acquire him have hit a snag over his contract. Thomas reportedly would have had to take a pay cut had the Jaguars sent him to the Dolphins for Albert. The 28-year-old is signed through 2019 and comes with pricey base salaries ($7MM, $8.5MM and $9MM) and cap hits ($8.3MM, $9.8MM, $10.3MM). Nearly half of his salary for 2017 ($3MM) has already become guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins, Jaguars Working To Swap Branden Albert, Julius Thomas

February 20th, 2017 at 7:53am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins are discussing a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to the Jaguars in exchange for tight end Julius Thomas, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Albert was first linked to Jacksonville last week by Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who speculated Thomas could be a target for the Dolphins.

Miami, of course, was close to releasing Albert last week, but trade talks materialized before the Fins officially made the move. The Jaguars, who recently declined their option bonus on left tackle Kelvin Beachum, were immediately viewed as the “primary destination” for Albert. While Albert and/or Thomas may need to restructure their contracts in order to finalize a deal, “all parties are willing participants” in negotiations, per Kelly.

“Why ruffle feathers when you don’t have to?” Albert said when asked about the trade. “It’s the business of the game. I honestly believe where I’m going to go is the right fit. It is going to be a surprise when [the terms] comes out.”

Albert, 32, has two years left on his current deal, with cap charges north of $10MM in each season. Miami would incur $3.4MM in dead money by dealing Albert to Jacksonville. Albert will visit the Jaguars today, and they could sweeten his deal in order to facilitate a trade, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 28-year-old Thomas, meanwhile, is signed through 2019, and $3MM of his $7MM 2017 base salary has already become guaranteed, though he might accept a small pay cut, per Rapoport (Twitter link). Regardless, his salary would become the responsibility of the Dolphins in a trade, while the Jaguars would incur $3.6MM in dead money.

While Albert would take over the left tackle spot in Jacksonville, Thomas would also represent a solid fit for Miami. Incumbent Dolphins tight ends Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims are each pending free agents, and while Miami has interest in re-signing Sims, the club could certainly use a more established option. While Thomas has struggled during his time with the Jags, he did catch 24 touchdowns over two seasons in Denver while current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase served as offensive coordinator.

AFC Notes: Garoppolo, Murray, Fins, Jaguars

February 19th, 2017 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick is unlikely to spend much time working on a trade proposal involving Jimmy Garoppolo, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Despite the Belichick-era Patriots making a league-high 61 trades since he took over in 2000, the coach is more likely to let Garoppolo and Tom Brady‘s agent, Don Yee, find a team that’s willing to extend Garoppolo and have said team put together a compelling array of assets.

La Canfora notes the latest Pats backup quarterback/trade candidate has a chance to be a quality starter. Of course, a buyer-beware element could exist based on Garoppolo’s small sample size (94 pass attempts in three seasons) and the Patriots’ previous trades of Brady backups not working out well for the teams acquiring them.

Relationships between certain key members of quarterback-needy teams and Yee could come into play, with La Canfora noting Hue Jackson has known Yee for more than 20 years and Bears GM Ryan Pace (from the Eastern Illinois grad’s relationship to Yee client Sean Payton; Garoppolo is an Eastern Illinois alum) has known Yee for many years as well. Both teams have been linked to a possible Garoppolo trade, one that La Canfora estimates will send the Patriots a similar haul to the one the Eagles collected for Sam Bradford. Although, some Garoppolo skepticism emerged this week, with a group of anonymous decision-makers preferring A.J. McCarron to the fourth-year Patriot as a trade asset.

Here’s more from the AFC.

A possible contractual hangup stands in the way of a Dolphins–Jaguars Branden Albert-for-Julius Thomas swap, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Albert, 32, has two years remaining on his five-year, $47MM deal. Thomas, 28, has three remaining on a five-year, $46.5MM accord. Both teams are in need of upgrades, the Jaguars at left tackle and Dolphins at tight end. Neither player has proven he can stay healthy throughout a season, however. With Albert being set to make $4MM more than Kelvin Beachum did last year at $9MM, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap wonders (Twitter links) if the hesitation is on the Jags’ end. Thomas is scheduled to make $7.1MM; Miami paid Jordan Cameron $6MM in 2016 for little production. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com expects the deal to be finalized by the time the new league year opens, however.
The Raiders want to retain Latavius Murray, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). But the reporter adds the fifth-year running back will have a market as well. Teams like the Giants, Buccaneers, Vikings and others could be in need of a medium- or long-term backfield solution. Murray may have some additional appeal due to the fact he has less wear and tear than other backs who have entered free agency in recent years. A starting back for barely two years and having missed his entire rookie season due to injury, the 27-year-old Murray only has 543 carries on his odometer. The sides have discussed an extension, and Reggie McKenzie noted Murray’s importance to Oakland’s offense — while acknowledging he may be swayed toward the market — earlier this month.
The Titans may not view a three-down linebacker as a primary need the way, holding fourth-year ‘backer Avery Williamson in a reasonably high regard, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com notes. The Titans hold two first-round picks and could nab a top-flight ILB with one. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. (Insider link) has the team going with Marshon Lattimore and O.J. Howard, respectively, with its two first-rounders.
Within the same mailbag piece, Kuharsky adds Broncos RFA linebacker Todd Davis could have several suitors. The Broncos experienced an eventful RFA last year, placing a low-end tender on C.J. Anderson before ultimately matching a Dolphins offer sheet on their starting running back. Denver applied a second-round tender to Davis’ inside linebacker mate, Brandon Marshall, last season before signing him to a four-year extension later.

West Notes: Broncos, 49ers, Raiders, Vegas

February 17th, 2017 at 8:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos could express interest in left tackle Branden Albert and defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, each of whom played for the Dolphins in 2016, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter links). Mitchell was released on Thursday and could be a fit with Denver thanks to his relationship with Broncos head coach Vance Joseph and defensive line coach Bill Kollar. Albert was also thought to have been released, but Miami is now close to trading the 32-year-old to Jacksonville. It’s unclear if Denver would still be interested in Albert if forced to sacrifice draft compensation.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

In addition to confirming several previously-reported hires, the 49ers announced another wave of coaching staff additions tonight. The list of new coaches includes Jeff Hafley (defensive backs), Johnny Holland (linebackers), Jason Tarver (senior defensive assistant) and Bobby Slowik (defensive quality control). Tarver, a former coordinator at the NFL level, is a holdover but is shifting away from LBs coach in order for San Francisco to add Holland, a former Cleveland coach.
The Broncos have granted the 49ers permission to interview John Benton for their vacant offensive line position, as Klis reports in a separate piece. Denver hired Benton as its assistant offensive line coach last month, but obviously he hasn’t actually worked with any Broncos players as of yet. Benton has worked with new San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan in the past, as the pair was employed by Houston from 2006-09.
Although previous reports have indicated the Raiders‘ plan to relocate to Las Vegas is “dead,” Oakland executive Mark Badain recently told the NFL the club has financial backing from two banks willing to loan the Raiders money for their move, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. The Raiders last month lost the support of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who was planning to put $650MM towards a Vegas stadium, but reportedly still had “high hopes” of moving to Nevada.

Dolphins, Jags Nearing Branden Albert Trade

February 17th, 2017 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Dolphins decided to release tackle Branden Albert. That is, until at least one team phoned them with trade interest. For now, Albert remains on the roster as the Dolphins explore trade possibilities. Apparently, it didn’t take long for serious talks to materialize. The Jaguars and Dolphins have talked trade, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. A source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) that the Jaguars are the “primary destination” for Albert at this time.

The Jaguars are in need of a starting left tackle after declining Kelvin Beachum‘s contract option on Thursday. At this time, Salguero writes that the Jaguars could be the only team to have expressed interest in an Albert trade. In addition to an agreement of terms between the two Florida teams, the Jaguars will presumably want the blessing of Albert. Albert may not have explicit no-trade rights, but there’s little sense in bringing him on board if he does not want to be there. Albert will turn 33 in November and he might not be gung-ho about joining a team that went 3-13 in 2016.

The Dolphins want draft compensation, though it won’t necessarily have to be an early pick, Salguero writes. Miami will want a pick in the 2017 draft but Jacksonville might push it to be a conditional 2018 pick based on Albert’s performance. If they can’t agree on proper draft considerations, Salguero writes that the two teams might move on to players.

One player who might not figure into the Jags’ plans for 2017 is tight end Julius Thomas and Salguero raises him as a trade candidate, though it’s not clear whether that is speculative or based on direct knowledge. The versatile Thomas would fill a need for Miami and a trade would allow the Jags to get off the hook for the remaining three years of his deal, including his guaranteed base salary. The Dolphins willingly absorbed Byron Maxwell’s contract this time last year, but I’m skeptical as to whether they’d do the same with Thomas after two disappointing years.

Load More Posts