Jaguars trading for Branden Albert, Julius Thomas staying?

Boy, this story is starting to become a whirlwind.

Initial reports had the Jaguars trading for Miami offensive lineman Branden Albert, with the initial compensation originally believed to be Davon House. That quickly changed, as tight end Julius Thomas’ name became the main point of the trade talks. Now, however, there is a new report out from Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that says Branden Albert might be arriving, but Julius Thomas may not be departing.

The Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a trade that would send left tackle Branden Albert to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2018 late-round draft pick, according to a league source.

And although the teams have agreed to the compensation, which is most likely a seventh-round pick, this doesn’t mean the deal is complete.

Wow. A seventh round pick for Branden Albert? I don’t know how any Jags fan could turn their nose up at that one. Not only is it a 7th round pick, it’s a 7th round pick next year, which could indicate that it is conditional. That would mean that the Dolphins would only receive that compensation if Albert performed at a specified level, or played in a specified amount of games, or something of that nature. I have seen many people who were not happy about giving up Julius Thomas, believing that he could bounce back under new coaching, but this trade would certainly alleviate those concerns.

Salguero goes on to note that the trade won’t be fully hammered out unless Albert agrees to joining the Jaguars, which is something that he is reportedly open to. We also know that several sources have indicated that Albert is in Jacksonville meeting with the Jaguars today.

We’ll update this story with more information as it becomes available. For now, what are your thoughts on this newly reported trade?