What To Do With Brandon Albert?

[So Be]

I believe I appreciate Albert's play, when healthy, as much as anyone as well as his desire to be on the field to help his team. However, as we all know, his being healthy is a major problem for the OL. What is in the best interest of the team to do?

On the cap this year, he will cost $10M. If we move him, we will have $5M in dead money and a $5M savings from salary which is not guaranteed. Basically a wash. We then save $10.6M next year and $11.3M in 2018 in addition to the $5M we get to spend again in 2017. That's $27M to spend over 3 years for another player.

We would need to replace him, and I like Beard's idea of signing Penn to do so. He would be much cheaper and does not miss games. No one will confuse the two in talent but, how much does health matter? This also allows us to draft a LT to groom or maybe do the same with Turner. There are a couple of other options as well.

Opinions?

[FTLDOLFAN]

I would see if he would restructure his contract to give us some cap relief in 2016. Whether he does it or not I would keep him for another year. He should be healthy to start the season next year. I would then look to add a better backup OT in free agency or the draft. Someone who is a better backup OT than Jason Fox was. Someone like Joe Dahl in the 4th round comes to mind.

If we decide to release him then we should draft a LT. Someone who I like is Jason Spriggs from Indiana. He should be available to us with our 2nd round draft pick.

[hawkfinfan]

Albert is a good guy but a accident waiting to happen. I agree keep him a year because of all the holes. But you can't depend or have a team with a major player always getting injured. So if he is good and we are going no where at the trade deadline, trade him for something.

[AquaXI]

Not my money so pay him and keep him one more year. I think Philbin wanted to give up a 2nd rounder for him.

[FTLDOLFAN]

Not my money so pay him and keep him one more year. I think Philbin wanted to give up a 2nd rounder for him.

Do you mean Philbin wants Albert now and we would get a 2nd round pick from the Colts? I would make that trade in a heartbeat and then draft LT Jason Spriggs with one of our 2nd round picks. I don't think the Colts would give us a 2nd round pick though for Albert at this stage of his career.

[AquaXI]

No, he wanted him a year earlier from his signing and if Ireland didn't stay put Philbin would have pulled the trigger. A moot point cause I believe we used that pick for Taylor.

[Dolfan1]

Restructure and move him to LG is a possibility.

[DolphinsFreak]

Albert is a good guy but a accident waiting to happen. I agree keep him a year because of all the holes. But you can't depend or have a team with a major player always getting injured. So if he is good and we are going no where at the trade deadline, trade him for something.

I agree. You can't keep paying a player you can't count on when he is making that much money and playing one of the most important positions on the offensive line. He is great when he is healthy but lately he hasn't been able to play often enough to warrant his contract. I would restructure his contract and bring in some young talent to compete with him, or I would try and find a replacement for him in free agency and then move Albert to guard. He played guard in college so maybe it's his natural position and he would more than likely stay healthier at that position so it could be a win for everybody.

[VAIDER5120]

Albert is a top tier LT when healthy which is why he is paid like one. No point in moving him to OG as health will still be a problem. The solution is to sign Kelechi Osemele if the Ravens let him go. This would fix the LG position and if/when Albert goes down the future LT Osemele fills in and ends up replacing Albert in 2017.

[DolphinsFreak]

Albert is a top tier LT when healthy which is why he is paid like one. No point in moving him to OG as health will still be a problem. The solution is to sign Kelechi Osemele if the Ravens let him go. This would fix the LG position and if/when Albert goes down the future LT Osemele fills in and ends up replacing Albert in 2017.

I disagree. Albert's injury history is a problem but I think the odds of him reinjuring himself while playing guard, as apposed to playing left tackle will diminish. The responsibilities of Left Tackle are just part of the reason why they get paid more. The Left Tackle position is physically demanding, way more then that of the guard position. So believe that the odds of Albert remaining healthy and on the field while playing guard do increase quite a bit. The Dolphins could still do your idea of signing Osemele to play left tackle since they really don't have anyone to fill that position then they could pump Albert to the left guard position and IF Pouncey could stay healthy, with James at RT that "might" help increase and/or bolster a terrible o-line to a pretty good one. The other guard position would be up in the air but would probably go to Douglas. Then they could use free agency and the draft to add a little depth.

[So Be]

Yeah, let's pay over $10M a year to keep an oft injured LT to move to OG. And let's plan on moving a high priced OG to LT where he has never played. Sounds like a Dolphins plan.

[VAIDER5120]

Osemele has played LT and he did a good job. He also played RT and did a good job with a ring to prove it. We would be paying him to be LG and the backup OT this year.

[DolphinsFreak]

Why ask for people's opinions if you are going to ATTEMPT to belittle them after they give their opinions. You have been doing this since the Herald. You're an instigator who THINKS he knows more about football then anyone else. Albert played GUARD in college. Osemele played TACKLE in college. Neither one of them would be playing a position that is foreign to them. And, nobody suggested moving Albert to guard without restructuring his contract, that was implied to those who actually know football.