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Branden Albert will not report to the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason program, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
#Jaguars OT Brandon Albert isn't expected to be on the field today for OTAs, as he is hoping for an improved contract. The wait continues. ⏲
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 23, 2017
Albert has been a no-show at the Jaguars voluntary workouts during the first two phases of the offseason in the hopes of getting a new contract, but the Jaguars haven’t budged — drafting his replacement in Cam Robinson in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
There has been some debate on if the Jaguars indicated to Albert he would get a new “sweetened” deal at the conclusion of his trade from the Miami Dolphins, but after the team picked Cam Robinson in the draft they indicated they would not re-do Albert’s deal, which includes no guaranteed money but is set to pay him just over $8 million in 2017.
Whatever the reason for the faux holdout, it’s still continuing, though still during voluntary workouts. While this doesn’t affect our belief that he’ll be the starter at left tackle in the fall, the team has indicated that Robinson will be competing for the same position. With Robinson at OTAs and Albert not, it gives the second-round rookie a leg up in the competition.