Dolphins-Jaguars trade part one: Julius Thomas acquired by Miami

The Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars have reached an agreement on a trade sending Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas south on I-95 to Miami in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round draft pick, according to multiple media reports. Officially, the trade cannot take place until March 9, when the new league year begins, but it appears all parties involved have agreed to the deal, to include a contract restructuring between the Dolphins and Thomas.

Details of Thomas’ new contract have not been reported.

Thomas joined the Jaguars in 2015 after four years with the Denver Broncos. He was initially a fourth-round pick by Denver, dealing with injuries and limited playing time his first two seasons before back-to-back Pro Bowl berths in 2013 and 2014. Those two seasons coincided with the two-year stint Miami head coach Adam Gase served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, providing hope that Thomas, who only caught an average of 38 passes a season the last two years with the Jaguars, along with an average of 368 yards and 4.5 touchdowns per year, can find the same success being back in a Gase offensive system.

Thomas is expected to take a physical with the Dolphins on Tuesday.

Miami will be looking to Thomas to fill the role in the offense they had hoped former free agent acquisition Jordan Cameron was expected to hold. Cameron missed most of the 2016 season with a concussion, and he was never able to live up to the seam-threat, pass-catching role Miami wanted. Cameron is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason.

The Dolphins have a decision to make on tight end Dion Sims, who took over the starting role when Cameron was injured and continued to develop into a all-around tight end. Sims is slated to become a free agent in March, but the Dolphins are though to be looking to re-sign him prior to the new league year beginning.

Miami and Jacksonville are also working to complete a trade that would send a 2018 seventh-round pick from the Jaguars in exchange for Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert. That deal could be agreed upon as early as Tuesday. Miami had informed Albert late last week that they would be releasing him, but did not submit the paperwork for the roster move when the Jaguars expressed interest in trading for the two-time Pro Bowler.

Albert visited with the Jaguars on Monday and is expected to discuss a new contract and take a physical on Tuesday.