JACKSONVILLE –The Jaguars made their belief in Branden Albert official Thursday.
As the Jaguars' newly-acquired left tackle sees it, his task now is clear:
Prove that belief is well-founded.
"I'm a man of faith and I'm a man of fate," Albert said Thursday afternoon shortly after officially joining the Jaguars. "For someone to trade for me, for someone to show faith in me [is important] …
"You put faith in me, I'm going to give you all the loyalty I have and give you everything I have."
Albert, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, was acquired by the Jaguars in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars sent a seventh-round selection in the 2018 NFL draft to Miami for Albert.
The Dolphins reportedly were considering releasing Albert for salary-cap reasons in mid-February before the Jaguars moved to trade for Albert. The trade reportedly was agreed upon several weeks before becoming official Thursday at 4 p.m. – the start of the NFL's 2017 League Year.
"They could have waited for me to go on the free-agent list," Albert said. "They said they wanted to make a trade. This is the destination where God put me."
Albert (6-feet-5, 315 pounds), originally the No. 15 overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, has started 118 of 120 games in nine NFL seasons. He has started at least 12 games in seven of those seasons.
Images of new tackle Branden Albert.
Albert played with Miami the past three seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 in his final season with the Chiefs.
"I just have to do what I'm supposed to do: be the best left tackle I can be for the Jacksonville Jaguars," Albert said. "I'm not a vocal leader. I lead by example. I keep quiet, shut my mouth and do my job. That's just who I am."
Albert said he looks forward to playing in Jacksonville, which he described as a "a city and a place that loves football."
"I started my career in a place like that in Kansas City – and that's where I'm going," Albert said. "I probably had my best years in Kansas City. Jacksonville for me is a place where I can hone in and concentrate on football and be about football. I'm excited going where I'm going."
