Dolphins hope they can afford to keep WR Landry

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Miami Dolphins say they want wide receiver Jarvis Landry to be part of the team in 2018. "Yeah, if it works out the way that we've kind of looked at things," head coach Adam Gase said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Really, that's why we franchised him. We'll just kind of see how it goes." But the problem is the price. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground right now. The two sides reportedly met Wednesday in Indianapolis. Miami put the non-exclusive franchise tag on Landry on Feb. 20, the first day possible. It was something that was discussed for a while, not an impulse move. "We were trying to figure out the best way," Gase said. "We knew (what) we were going to do. We weren't sure when the best timing was for us. "We just decided to do it on that first day. We felt like that was the best thing for us to really, for him to know that that's there. We'll just kind of see how this plays out." Gase admitted that Miami would be in a tough spot if Landry departed. That would leave the Dolphins with returning starters Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker, but they would be flanked by inexperienced receivers in Jakeem Grant and Leonte Carroo. It's believed the Dolphins could keep Landry, Stills and Parker on the team even with Parker's fifth-year option coming up in 2019. Gase said the Dolphins are trying to structure the team in such a way where one departure won't cripple the entire operation. "I think any time you have a player that's really been elite at his spot, if that guy is not there, we found this out last year, at least we felt at the quarterback position, it makes a big difference and you have to make adjustments," he said. "That's why we're trying to make sure we put this team together the right way. "Right now, we're at that standstill where we can't do anything. We've got the next 14-15 days until we can actually do anything." Landry will be due a salary in the range of $16 million for 2018 (the actual total will be set in early March) if he signs the franchise tag offer sheet, which he hasn't done yet. --Right tackle Ja'Wuan James, who is due $9.3 million for 2018 on his fifth-year option, could be cut or asked to restructure. James, who ended the season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, is healthy, according to coach Adam Gase. "As far as medically, he's healthy and we've got to make a decision here coming up," Gase said. "We've still got a couple weeks before we have to make any type of decision." The Dolphins have an option at right tackle with right guard Jesse Davis, who could slide over to fill James' role. Miami is a bit cash-strapped so either restructuring James' deal or releasing him are possibilities. --Linebacker Lawrence Timmons ($6.4 million in 2018) and tight end Julius Thomas ($6.5 million in 2018) seem destined to be cut because of their performances and salaries. Timmons went AWOL before last year's opener in Los Angeles against the Chargers and subsequently served a one-game suspension. He had 84 tackles in somewhat of a disappointing season that ended a streak of five consecutive 100-tackle seasons. Miami could have a shot at two highly-rated linebackers in the draft between Georgia's Roquan Smith and Virginia Tech's Tremaine Edmunds. But it's unclear if either would be there at No. 11. At tight end, things are relatively dire. Thomas had 41 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Miami returns Thomas, MarQueis Gray and A.J. Derby among its tight ends, and if Thomas doesn't return, the Dolphins would almost certainly need help from free agency and the draft. "That's always going to be a position we look at and try to figure out what's going to be best for us for this season," Gase said of the tight end position. "Any time that you can have a tight end that can be effective in the pass game and still be effective in the run game and pass protection, that's what you want there."