Would Dolphins consider moving Albert?

[kelbail2.2]

When the Dolphins drafted Laremy Tunsil, they didn't draft a LT for need or just any LT. They drafted the best player on everybody's draft board. They drafted a LT with no flaws. Going into last season, Jamil Douglas had secured the LG position, his natural position, early on in camp. It wasn't until a week before the season opened that they switched him over to RG. It was a typically stupid move. He wasn't used to that side and he hadn't developed a repoire with the Center to his left and the Tackle to his right. The RG spot is still in as much a state of flux as we were going into last season. So do we start the aging and oft injured Branden Albert with Tunsil at LG? Maybe. But let's say Tunsil shows, immediately, that he is as dominating at LT in the NFL as he was in the SEC. And Jamil Douglas once again proves to be our best LG. Might we consider moving Albert if some playoff hopeful team finds themselves in dire straits at the position and comes calling, dangling a 1st round pick for him in trade? I realize it's a bit of a longshot but not out of the realm of possibility. It would be nice to be holding two 2017 1st round selections. Those will be gold if we wind up participating in the DeShaun Watson sweepstakes come next April. Even better if we didn't and could add two top prospects.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

Not a bad thought..but i'm pretty sure no one under any circumstance would offer up their 1st rounder for a 31 y.o., oft-injured LT..He's good, but it doesn't matter how good you are if you're sitting on the sidelines....

[cuchulainn]

Agree with DP... IF Albert is healthy mid-season and IF anyone thought he could help them make a playoff push, I doubt they'd offer more than a low 2nd/high 3rd.

Again, those are some big IFs and would require a specific scenario as if a team is good enough for a playoff push, they'd already have solid tackles and depth and would be in dire straits. Low probability at best.

As for our OL - I don't care who starts where, just get them into the best possible position for their particular strengths. None of this BS that Philbin did with the musical chairs.

[AquaXI]

Philbin love Albert so much he wanted Ireland to give up a 2nd rounder the year before we got him. Now that he is with Indy and their GM has a habit of paying big for Talent( hit and miss, mostly miss ) maybe we can get a 2nd for him. The perfect storm is in Coltland.

[Bahamas]

Before we start selling off our team - can we see where we are at the mid point of the season?

[Idahomer]

Thank you Bahamas! I personally like the idea of moving Tunsil to guard for the season. He is our LT of the future, but Albert is still a VG LT in this league (although he needs to stay healthy). They can let Albert go and save on cap space next year or the year after. Hopefully by then we will have a legitimate guard tandum in place. But as bad as our oline has been I think talking about trading our best player on that unit is a bit premature.

[cuchulainn]

Thank you Bahamas! I personally like the idea of moving Tunsil to guard for the season. He is our LT of the future, but Albert is still a VG LT in this league (although he needs to stay healthy). They can let Albert go and save on cap space next year or the year after. Hopefully by then we will have a legitimate guard tandum in place. But as bad as our oline has been I think talking about trading our best player on that unit is a bit premature.

In 1996, the Ravens took LT Johnathan Ogden with the 4th overall pick, then played him at LG his rookie season and left their incumbent LT, Tony Jones at LT that season. In 97, they traded Jones and started Ogden at LT. The rest is history and Ogden is in the HOF...

Would love to see history repeat itself for us with Tunsil...

[Idahomer]

LIke I said, 2017 we can consider doing something with Albert and move Tunsil to LT, but this season I would like to see our Pro Bowl LT line up next to our 1st round draft pick at LG. Hopefully Douglas and Turner figure out the guard position so we have the flexibility to move Albert in 2017.

[cuchulainn]

I like having a log jam at OG... We have 5 guys competing for RG. The job should be Turner's to lose. Just hoping Pouncey, Albert, and James stay healthy this season. I never want to see Douglas back at OC or us signing guys off other teams to come in and start games for us again.

[kelbail2.2]

I respect all your opinions and hope we do put together a dominant O line. However, if (LT) Tunsil and (LG) Douglas (two guys in their natural positions) prove to be as formidable as the oft injured Albert and the out of position Tunsil duo, wouldn't we be wise to not let Albert walk after this season with nothing in return? I, personally, don't look at this team as one with a good chance of making the playoffs. Gase has a lot of re-training to do with the QB, Ajayi still has to develop and our defense will take time to come together as a unit. 2016 is about getting everybody on to the same page, individuals to develop, the best players into the starting lineup and the starters to gel as units. That will be an accomplishment in itself. Adding talent in 2017 will be paramount in taking the next step, especially if Gase realizes it's going to take a more complete QB. It will all play itself out. I just hope they don't continue to try to cram square pegs into round holes just to prove they're right. I think they did enough of that already with the Drake pick.

[cuchulainn]

I respect all your opinions and hope we do put together a dominant O line. However, if (LT) Tunsil and (LG) Douglas (two guys in their natural positions) prove to be as formidable as the oft injured Albert and the out of position Tunsil duo, wouldn't we be wise to not let Albert walk after this season with nothing in return? I, personally, don't look at this team as one with a good chance of making the playoffs. Gase has a lot of re-training to do with the QB, Ajayi still has to develop and our defense will take time to come together as a unit. 2016 is about getting everybody on to the same page, individuals to develop, the best players into the starting lineup and the starters to gel as units. That will be an accomplishment in itself. Adding talent in 2017 will be paramount in taking the next step, especially if Gase realizes it's going to take a more complete QB. It will all play itself out. I just hope they don't continue to try to cram square pegs into round holes just to prove they're right. I think they did enough of that already with the Drake pick.

You want to play your 5 best on the OL and in the best scenario for them. Albert is under contract and while I would have preferred to put Albert at LG with Tunsil at LT, I understand that Albert's older, savvier, and less likely to finish the season, meaning that Tunsil most likely ends up at LT at some point regardless.

I think we try to trade Albert after this season, or at least force him to take a cut. Those are the smartest moves IMO.

All this Gase is here to ''fix'' Tannehill, or ''re-train'' him talk is silly. Gase is here to get results from the entire offense. Best thing he could for Tannehill has already been done in augmenting the OL.

As for the rookies, I think we all have to be patient with this draft class... Tunsil is a Day 1 starter. Xavien Howard will likely start and get burnt a lot as a rookie, Drake probably only gets a handful of touches and receptions, Carroo maybe catches a couple dozen passes, and a guy like Grant makes the roster but didn't really play much apart from kickoff returns. We could see Duarte, Lucas and Doughty be bubble players who either make the roster barely, or end up on PS.

But in another year or two, we could see Tunsil as a Pro-Bowl LT, Howard playing very well under Joseph, Drake making plays in space, Carroo providing a fantastic compliment to Parker, Grant handling punt returns and getting dozens of touches a year, Duarte as a solid H-back, and Doughty as the primary backup to Tannehill. 2017 is when we really start to shine if all goes well.

Now that we have a FO and Coaching Staff that seem to be working in accord with each other, I think we're going to be better than expected this season and especially next season.

[FTLDOLFAN]

I would rather just keep Albert for another season. I don't think we would get anything of significance for him in a trade. With Albert that also helps our depth situation in case he does get injured we could move Tunsil to LT.