Branden Albert is a stop-gap option for the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are moving on from Kelvin Beachum in favor of (hopefully) getting a deal done with the Miami Dolphins for Branden Albert, even though he may only be a stop-gap.

Eugene Monroe may not have been the best left tackle the Jacksonville Jaguars have ever had, but at least he settled the position. Since his trade to the Baltimore Ravens the Jaguars have struggled to adequately address one of the game’s most important positions.

Luke Joeckel came, faltered, and was moved to guard. Kelvin Beachum was brought in to force the move and his option wasn’t picked up by the team. Now, the latest idea is to go after 32-year old tackle Branden Albert of the Miami Dolphins.

That deal looks to involve trading underperforming tight end Julius Thomas, which is a great value trade for the Jags. The deal is yet to be finalized and the ink won’t dry until March ninth when the new league year begins, but it looks like a win for the Jaguars.

“Where I’m going they put a lot of faith in me, and they know they are getting loyalty back,” said Albert on the deal per the Sun Sentinel. He also added that he believes where he is going to be the right fit for him.

That fit is an intriguing one for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Short a left tackle, one of the game’s most important positions, bringing in someone with Albert’s experience and consistency is critical for the team. But how long can Albert play? He’ll be 33 by the end of the 2017 season, which means that Albert likely won’t be around more than a few years for the Jags.

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This deal, offloading a high-priced lackluster performer for a stop-gap solution at a critical position, is perfect for the Jaguars. It buys executive vice president Tom Coughlin time to further evaluate other key positions and it also puts the Jags in a position to best succeed on offense. The Jags won’t be left wondering if Blake Bortles could do better with an improved offensive line when they upgrade it with players like Albert.

Similarly, the Jags will have time to properly evaluate prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft and future drafts, judiciously pulling the trigger on an offensive lineman of the future who has all of the traits Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell are looking for. The frenetic search for left tackles in recent years has led to a revolving door of inconsistency. With Albert holding down the position, the Jags will finally have some continuity and a baseline to measure future success against.

This move is a win-win for the Jaguars. A stop-gap solution may not sound like a good thing, but it’s exactly what the team needs. Branden Albert knows what role he is coming to Jacksonville to play and the Jaguars will get exactly what they need from him. Either way, it’ll be an improvement over the revolving door at the position and more poor play from Thomas at the tight end position.

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