The Miami Dolphins are exploring every option as they try to fill out their depleted running backs corps and that includes the possibility of getting a player via trade. The Dolphins have had conversations with multiple teams about trading for a back, a league source said from the NFL annual meeting Wednesday.

There are no specifics available as to which players the Dolphins have inquired about. But it is not believed a trade is imminent.

The Dolphins need a running back because efforts have so far failed in the attempt to re-sign Lamar Miller, sign resticted free agent C.J. Anderson, or unrestricted free agent Chris Johnson.

Miller signed a contract with the Houston Texans that paid him an average of $6.5 million per season. The Dolphins held the line as their highest offer to Miller was $5 million per season on average, per another league source.

The Dolphins graded Anderson as a better player than Miller, per a club source, but nonetheless were able to sign Anderson to an offer sheet that averaged $4.5 million per season. The Denver Broncos, however, matched the offer to retain Anderson.

Johnson visited the Dolphins prior to returning to the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal worth up to $3 million.

So the Dolphins continue to shop, adding the trade avenue to possibilities in the draft, or the latter part of free agency. A veteran player, including Arian Foster, has not been eliminated as a possibility.

And why are the Dolphins shopping despite having second-year running back Jay Ajayi on the roster?

"The reason we were trying to do that is we’re looking to having more than one guy," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said. "Jay is going to be a big part of what we’re doing. I’d like to have multiple backs. Right now, we don’t have a lot of guys on the roster. I think we only have three guys on the roster right now. We’re going to need to really develop that stable of backs.

"Options will present themselves. We just need to stay patient, whether it’s through the draft or somebody gets cut free or there’s somebody else out there that we need to take a look out. We’ll just keep investigating that. I guess for me, I feel really comfortable with Jay. I saw a lot of good things on film last year. I’m fired up to get going with him. The problem is, we can’t do anything until April 11th. But really, those two weeks are meetings and weightlifting. Really, that minicamp will be our first good look to see where we’re at with our running backs.”