DAVIE, Fla. -- What is wide receiver Jarvis Landry's value to the Miami Dolphins?
Landry, who had his second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season in 2016, is due $893,850 in the final year of his rookie deal.
"I don't know if [it gets done] before the season," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said after the first day of training camp. "But like I said, it's not really mandatory that we do it before the season."
Landry wants to stay in Miami long term. The Dolphins have made it clear they want to keep their homegrown talent, and Landry is one of their best draft picks in recent memory.
Contract talks are at a standstill, and time is running out to see if the sides can reach an agreement by the start of the regular season. Landry is a unique receiving talent, and determining his value in the marketplace isn't easy. He does most of his damage in the slot, but is putting up No. 1 receiver numbers. Landry set an NFL record for the most receptions (288) in his first three seasons and wants to be paid for his efforts.
ESPN talked to several NFL executives, former league executives and agents not involved in the Dolphins-Landry negotiations to get an unbiased take on the Pro Bowler's value. The answers varied, which is further proof of the difficulty facing Miami.
"They must not be able to agree on comparables," one former NFL general manager said. "Nothing gets done until they bridge that gap."
This is a strong point, as two receivers who closely compare to Landry's skill set provide a wide range in pay scale.
Antonio Brown, who recently was paid an average of $17 million annually, does many of the same things for the Pittsburgh Steelers that Landry is asked to do in Miami. That includes being a high-volume, No. 1 receiver while also returning punts. But it is doubtful the Dolphins are willing to go that high with Landry.
Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots is another good comparison as a top-level slot receiver. Edelman recently was given an $11 million extension over two seasons. That would likely be seen as a low number for Landry. There is a lot of gray area between these two examples, which the Dolphins must navigate.
"He'll never be a game-plan against type guy, but he does all the little things right," one front office executive said of Landry. "Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Mohamed Sanu may be good boxes to put him in.”
One agent who spoke to ESPN disagrees and believes Landry should be the highest-paid player on Miami's roster outside of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh ($114 million) and quarterback Ryan Tannehill ($96 million).
"If I'm his agent, I ask for $18 million annually over five years," said the agent, who added Landry would be "insanely valuable" to other teams if he hit the open market.
Another agent acknowledged the leverage Miami has on its side with one year left on Landry's contract plus the option to use the franchise tag in 2018.
"A four-year extension for $13 million with $30 million effective guarantee would be a good deal for him before the season," the agent said, considering those factors.
The Dolphins have spent the entire offseason taking care of their own in an effort to build the proper culture. They re-signed receiver Kenny Stills ($32 million) and defensive end Andre Branch ($27 million) to sizable contracts. They extended the contracts of safety Reshad Jones ($60 million), linebacker Kiko Alonso ($29 million) and defensive end Cameron Wake ($16 million) despite all three having time remaining on their original deals.
These moves have built continuity and sent the message Miami values its in-house talent. But upsetting Landry, who has been extremely productive and one of the emotional leaders of the team, could be step backward.
The Dolphins also have one of the best young trios of receivers in the league in Landry, Stills and 2015 first-round pick DeVante Parker. All three players are 25 or younger. However, keeping this trio together long term will be tricky.
Miami agreed to pay Stills an average of $8 million a season. Landry's contract is next -- either this year or next year -- and Stills' number makes you wonder how much more than that Landry is worth to the Dolphins.
In addition, the up-and-coming Parker presents a tough situation. He is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract, which also has a fifth-year option as a first-round pick. Parker has yet to live up to his potential but has the physical tools to be a No. 1 receiver if he can stay healthy.
If Parker becomes a 1,000-yard receiver in the next year or two, which is a reasonable goal, the Dolphins need to decide if they are willing to give big money to all three receivers to keep this trio together beyond the next couple of seasons.
But those are questions for 2018 and beyond. For now, the Dolphins must concentrate on putting their best offer on the table for Landry.
"I'm out here just focusing on now," Landry said at training camp. "I'm focusing on all of the things that I can control, every time I step on the field. Everything else is out of my hands, is out of my control. I leave that with God."