NFL Trade Rumors: Dolphins trading Branden Albert to Jaguars for Julius Thomas

The Miami Dolphins are working on a trade that will send Branden Albert to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Julius Thomas per the Sun Sentinel.

After hitting the brakes on releasing Branden Albert, the Miami Dolphins are closing in on a trade that would net a former Pro Bowl tight end in return. According to the Sun-Sentinel, the Dolphins are working on finalizing a trade that will send Albert to the Jacksonville Jaguars for tight end Julius Thomas.

The deal won’t officially happen until March 9 however at the beginning of the new league year.

This trade makes a lot of sense for both teams, as the Jaguars have always had offensive line issues, so a veteran like Branden Albert should help those immensely. The Dolphins were going to release Albert anyway, so getting compensation for him is a huge plus. This should help ease the Dolphins tight end issues and without paying much of a price.

This trade is easily won by the Dolphins. As stated above, receiving compensation for a player that wasn’t worth their cap hit is always very good. But the Jaguars also make out well, shedding a free agent bust for a player who can fill a need, and they don’t have to compete with the rest of the league if he hit free agency.

Albert struggled heavily this season, but the 32-year-old is bound to bounce back as a solid left tackle provided he is healthy. Thomas, however, is more complicated. He’s struggled a bit since leaving the Denver Broncos, with only nine touchdowns since signing with the Jaguars. By comparison, he had 24 touchdowns in his final two seasons with Denver, He is only 28 years old and still has gas left in the tank, and is likely to produce should he end up being paired with Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

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Either way, both the Dolphins and Jaguars are trying to kick off the new league year with a little roster makeover as both players look to benefit from a change of scenery.