Branden Albert is happy to be in Jacksonville, and is not cranky about his contract situation.
Now.
Via ESPN.com, the veteran left tackle made it clear he was a happy minicamper, and would continue to be once training camp rolls around.
“I’m declaring now, I’ll be in training camp,” Albert said. “I’ll be ready to work.”
Albert skipped all the voluntary work with the Jaguars after being acquired in a trade with the Dolphins.
Via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, Albert admitted part of the reason he stayed away was contractual.
He’s set to make $8.875 million this year and $9.575 million next year, but free agent tackles such as Russell Okung and Matt Kalil were getting long-term deals this offseason, and Albert acknowledged that played into his decision.
He might have preferred the Jaguars offer an extension, but they didn’t, and then drafted Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson at the top of the second round, which keeps him from having all the leverage he might have enjoyed previously.
So while Albert declared himself “happy to be here, working with the guys,” that seems pretty conditional.