Joe Philbin praises Branden Albert and his work ethic

Written by Matthew Cannata | Twitter: @PhinManiacs
One of the very first things the Miami Dolphins did when free agency opened back in March was that they signed left tackle Branden Albert to a lucrative contract. So far, Albert’s been worth every penny but injured himself late in the game against the Green Bay Packers, which has brought up questions about his past injuries. While Philbin said that he doesn’t know the status of Albert for Sunday, he praised him for his work ethic and ability to be a leader.

“He’s a talented guy, number one. He’s got good size and athletic ability for the position that we ask him to play. He’s got really good hand use, I think that’s probably his strength as a pass protector. The guy has got an outstanding punch and he’s got good timing on his punch, so he gets separation from defensive players. That’s the big thing for an offensive lineman. If you keep him off your body, you’ve got a chance to stay in front of those guys in pass protection. I think over the course of his career, that’s probably one of the strengths that shows.”

It is expected that Albert will play on Sunday barring an unforeseen change in his health over the next few days. With him on the line, it becomes so much better and the Dolphins can’t afford to be without him for an extended amount of time.