The Palm Beach Post

‘Nothing is fifinalize­d,’ but Dolphins would get tight end Thomas.

- By Jason Lieser Palm Beach Post Staffff Writer Dolphins

The Dolphins’ search for a play-making tight end and a trade partner for departing left tackle Branden Albert could intersect in the next few weeks.

Multiple reports have linked Miami and Jacksonvil­le in a pro- posed swap of Albert for tight end Julius Thomas. A league source told The Post Sunday that the teams are in conversati­ons about the deal, but “nothing is fifinalize­d.”

Thomas has been a disappoint­ment in Jacksonvil­le, but made back-to-back Pro Bowls with Denver in 2013 and ’14. Dolphins coach Adam Gase was the Broncos’ offfffffff­fffensive coordinato­r both of those seasons.

Over those two years, with Peyton Manning as his quarterbac­k, Thomas totaled 108 catches, 1,277 yards and 24 touchdowns. In two seasons with the Jaguars, those stats dropped to 76 catches, 736 yards and nine scores.

Nonetheles­s, the Dolphins are desperate to add a dynamic pass catcher at tight end and there could be hope that Gase knows the optimal way to use him. The team record for touchdown catches by a tight end is seven, set by journeyman Anthony Fasano in 2008. Miami has a strong group of skill players headlined by Jarvis Landry and Jay Ajayi, but its best tight end last year was Dion Sims with 256 yards and four touchdowns on 26 receptions.

Thomas, who turns 29 this summer, has three years left on the deal he signed in 2015 and has salary cap hits of $8.3, $9.8

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