MIAMI — If defensive end Jason Taylor decides he wants to reunite with the Dolphins next season, the first step toward making it happen is simple: Be patient.

Although the Dolphins have not reached out to Taylor or his agent to discuss a potential return, the team also isn't shutting the door. Miami expects to wait until after the NFL Draft before deciding whether to pursue him, a source said Friday.

Whether Taylor chooses to wait is up to him. But the Dolphins do not want to sign him if they end up drafting a promising outside linebacker — the position Taylor would play in a 3-4 system.

General manager Jeff Ireland said the Dolphins are "looking at" the situation, but he didn't want to discuss the team's level of interest.

"I always say, 'You never know what is falling off the tree,' and there is an acorn down there," Ireland said. "We are looking at it. I am not going to say that we are not."

Ireland also added several points that he will factor into the decision, a few of which didn't play into Taylor's favor — including his potential impediment on the development of young players.

"Players in particular like Jason, who is going to be 35 in September — you have to look at whether veteran players are progress-stoppers for younger players," Ireland said. "We have to look at that. Economics also have something to do with it."

EXPANDING THE VIEW

Those factors played into the team's decision to release veteran defensive end Vonnie Holliday last month. Along with a hefty bonus owed to him, Holliday would have been a "progress-stopper" for Phillip Merling and Kendal Langford.

The Dolphins don't have that same situation at outside linebacker. There isn't an abundance of developmental pass-rushers, so Taylor's addition would be more appealing to Miami if the team doesn't find the right player in the draft.

The process of finding such a player already is under way, but the team won't begin developing its main draft board until Saturday, when the scouting department meets with Ireland and vice president of football operations Bill Parcells.

For the next two weeks, the Dolphins will work diligently to organize their research on players in this year's draft.

"We're all here in the same room with our scouts," Ireland said. "We're collecting information. We're constantly debating it, sometimes louder than others. It's a fun process, but it's long days and short nights and a lot of strategy that goes into it."

Ireland also said Miami has "needs at a lot of different positions," which makes it difficult to predict whether the Dolphins will find a suitable outside linebacker early in the draft.

With clear needs at wide receiver and cornerback, among other positions, the ability to add a pass-rusher in the draft likely isn't something that will be dictated until Miami is on the clock with the 25th overall pick.

WHO FITS BEST?

"Our greatest needs are players that fit our system," Ireland said. "Our greatest needs are players that think the way we think, that want to be here and have high passion and high character."

Beyond all of the offseason drama last year between Taylor and Parcells, the Dolphins realize that Taylor still could meet those criteria. Whether Taylor wants and see if he fits on the roster will be up to him.

In the meantime, Taylor could be tempted by the prospect of joining the New England Patriots. He is believed to be favoring New England and Miami over any other teams, but as many as five other teams (including the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills) also have shown interest.

For now, the Dolphins' only interest remains focusing on the draft.

"You have to have younger players on your team," Ireland said. "You want to build through the draft."