The latest off-season news and rumors surrounding the Miami Dolphins

The legal negotiating period between teams and free agents began on Saturday and if you've been following the NFL world over the weekend, you will know that it has been a crazy few days. Beginning with a report from Chris Mortensen about Ndamukong Suh headed to Miami to Jeremy Maclin headed to Kansas City, many people have been calling this weekend the unofficial start of free agency because of all the deals already verbally agreed to.

Of course, things can't be made official until Tuesday at 4:00 PM EST. In addition, despite those deals already in place, there are many others out there who will wait until the market officially opens to really gauge their value and the serious teams that are interested.

Make no mistake about it - the Dolphins aren't finished. While it's not expected they will sign any more high profile players, they still have work to do to fill in some holes on the team. Here are the latest news and rumors that have been floating around the league in regards to players who the Dolphins may be interested in.

• Jared Odrick to the Raiders? Not so fast. Even though the Sun-Sentinel reported it, I am not hearing the same thing as of right now. It would take a big offer for the Raiders to lure Odrick to the west coast. I am putting my confidence level of Odrick staying at 60/100. He likes Miami and may take a little less to be part of a special defensive line now that they have Suh. With that said, the Broncos and Jaguars are also in the mix and they could stir the pot with more money as well. Will Odrick chase the money or stay in Miami? We'll see. Update: The Sun-Sentinel has reported that Odrick and the Jaguars have agreed to terms.
  

• It was first reported by the Sun-Sentinel and later confirmed by Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post but the Dolphins will ask punter Brandon Fields to re-structure his contract. If he doesn't, he will be released. Fields is scheduled to make a whopping $3.9 million dollars this year.

• Don't expect CJ Spiller to come to the Dolphins. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald said that Mike Tannebaum likes Lamar Miller and looks at him as a featured back. The Dolphins do not want to tie up money in that position, especially because there is a lot of depth in the draft at this position. In addition to the Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins are all interested in his services. However, Spiller plans to use the teams to bid against each other and his price could jump high quickly. Expect the Dolphins to sit this one out, unless he comes to Miami on a discount, which is doubtful.

• The Dolphins are in the market for a linebacker and their primary target was David Harris, who just re-signed with the Jets. Sean Weatherspoon, who played for the Atlanta Falcons, will hit the market and may draw interest from Miami, depending on his price tag. He missed all of 2014 after tearing his Achilles' last June and has played only one full season in his career since being drafted in the first round in 2010.

• Another linebacker to keep your eyes on is Dan Skuta, who played for the 49ers last season. He is drawing interest from several teams but he wants a chance to start in 2015. If the Dolphins plan to move Dion Jordan to outside linebacker or draft one, then he likely won't be offered that opportunity.

• Of course, don't forget about Mason Foster, who was mentioned by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald as a fall-back option if the team missed out on Harris.

• Brian Hartline continues to be sit on the market after saying last week he wanted to sign with a team as soon as possible. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Hartline has said that he will take less money to play with Tom Brady but would require more to play with Josh McCown or Ryan Mallet. Hartline's first preference is to play in the Ohio area.
  

• The Dolphins have turned their attention to Buffalo Bills safety Da'Norris Searcy. The Bills have expressed little interest in re-signing him so he will be on a new team in 2015. Besides the Dolphins, he is drawing interest from the Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts.

• Sources with connections to the team say that the Dolphins will seriously consider drafting a wide receiver in the first round. One team that many are worried about is the Chicago Bears, who need receiver help. However, I've been told that it is unlikely that they use a first round pick on that position. Instead, they will likely look to the second round.

• Speaking of the draft, one team that won't be drafting Dorial Green-Beckham is the Baltimore Ravens. They are now taking the stance of not acquiring players who have a history of domestic violence. I am told that the Dolphins also do not have Green-Beckham on their draft board.

• A report from the Sun-Sentinel said that the Bills will be offering Charles Clay a substantial amount of money. I have not heard anything about this and can't think of a scenario where the Bills can afford to do that. If he does end up leaving though - to the Bills or another team - the Dolphins will have to look to the market for his replacement. Some names include Julius Thomas, Ed Dickson, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Cameron. However, things will need to move quick because Thomas to the Jacksonville Jaguars is all but official, Dickson is favored to land with the Browns, Gresham is getting interest from the Raiders, and Cameron is getting interest from the Browns, Raiders, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.

• Why didn't Ndamukong Suh show any interest in teams that were running a 3-4 defense? It's because the vast majority of those teams, if not all, talked about him moving to defensive end. Suh has been a three-technique defensive tackle his entire career and has had much success doing so.

• If the Dolphins lose Matt Moore in free agency, one name to keep an eye on is Matt Flynn. He will be allowed to test the market and could re-unite with his old offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin

• Cecil Shorts has been linked to the Dolphins for weeks now and they are expected to pursue him. They love the fact that can get a nice chunk of yards after the catch. In 2014, he was hurt part of the season and finished with 557 yards and 53 catches. Shorts said he wants to play for a contender.

• Michael Crabtree is another receiver who has been linked to the Dolphins. Crabtree doesn't want to re-sign with the 49ers but instead, he wants to go somewhere where the emphasis is on the passing game. That certainly fits Miami so we will see how it plays out.

• If Branden Albert isn't ready to go for the season opener, he could be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Don't rule out the Dolphins drafting a left tackle in the middle rounds of the draft to develop and for insurance purposes moving down the road into the future.

• The Bills traded for Minnesota Vikings QB Matt Cassel last week. They gave up their 2015 fifth-round and 2016 seventh-round picks but received the Vikings' 2015 sixth-round pick in return.

• The Dolphins have inquired about defensive end Jarvis Jenkins, who played for the Redskins in 2014. The Cardinals are also showing interest as well as the Redskins. It was thought that Jenkins would be a fall back option for the Dolphins if they didn't land Suh but we'll see if they still pursue. Jenkins has made his living stuffing the run, although he has shown his ability to penetrate the pocket. 

• At the cornerback position, the Dolphins are interested in Patrick Robinson, who played for the New Orleans Saints. Robinson is coming off the best season of his career, recording 39 tackles, 11 pass break-ups and two interceptions. Robinson is appealing because he can play both inside and outside. The Saints are not expected to re-sign him. Some have said Chris Culliver should sign with Miami, but his price tag is expected to jump and will likely be out of Miami's price range.

• I would be surprised if the Dolphins targeted an offensive guard in free agency. They can chase Mike Iupati, an amazing player in the run game, but his market is going to be heavy with interest from the Raiders, 49ers, Jets, and Bills. He would make a lot of sense in Buffalo. Look for them to draft one in the middle rounds.
  

• One player who may not be in the AFC East next season is Darrelle Revis as the Chiefs are showing heavy interest. However, it's rumored that Revis' decision will come down to the Patriots or Jets, according to Yahoo Sports.

• Many have asked about DT Dan Williams. I would not expect him in Miami. He is being targeted by the Broncos if they lose Terrance Knighton, who is rumored to be headed to Oakland.

• Speaking of defensive tackle, the Dolphins still have interest in Corey Peters, who is good in stopping the run. 

This story was written by Matthew Cannata. Stay tuned to PhinManiacs.com for all of the latest information. We'll have you covered the entire week with free agency news and rumors. In addition, follow me on Twitter: @PhinManiacs for even more instant updates.