Building an NFL roster isn’t easy: 53 roster spots, $167 million and the right coaching staff to make it all gel. There are plenty of ways to build a roster, but there are only a few ways to build a successful one.

Headed into their second season under head coach Adam Gase, the Miami Dolphins have made it clear they want to reward their own. Miami signed four players to long-term contracts, with most of the money being guaranteed.

The issue is the Dolphins still have one player looking for that long-term contract. So the million dollar question is, why haven’t the Dolphins locked up wide receiver Jarvis Landry?

About a month ago, Landry’s agent, Damarius Bilbo, talked to the Miami Herald about Landry and his long-term goals. Landry said earlier this month, he won’t talk about contract negotiations once the regular season starts.

One issue Miami had this offseason is that it may have overspent on defensive end Andre Branch and wide receiver Kenny Stills. The Dolphins could’ve saved a bit of money if they locked up Stills last summer, before his nine touchdown 2016 season.

Based on what we have seen, the Dolphins don’t mind paying to keep their own players.

They currently have around $17 million in cap space and could use a large portion of it to front-load Landry’s contract. That would help them balance three receivers on the roster with second contracts (assuming DeVante Parker continues his growth on the field and develops into the player the Dolphins drafted in the first round of the 2015 draft). It would also keep an important part of the offense happy and under contract for the foreseeable future.

Landry offers a unique skill set that is prone to highlight-type plays. He can run over any corner on a field and break the ankles of any linebacker that tries to bring him to the ground. Of course, many teams value this type of player, but the Dolphins haven’t signed Landry to a new contract.

Parker offers the team a true No. 1, but the team hopes he can find some consistency in his third season with the Dolphins. Miami may fear it cannot able to keep Parker, Stills and Landry all under contract.

With limited resources and Stills’ contract, the Dolphins may think it is for the best to keep Parker and Stills and let Landry walk.

Though this would anger fans, it isn’t the worst decision in the world. Landry is the heartbeat of the offense, but Gase may not need that type of player. While in both Denver and Chicago, Gase’s offenses were focused on spreading the ball around, while Landry is more of a volume receiver.

Landry loves Miami, but he wants to be paid, and who can blame him? The issue is that his best season, when looking at the numbers, is comparable to Brian Hartline when he was in Miami. Hartline’s best season ended with 1,083 yards and four touchdowns on 74 receptions, while Landry’s best season resulted in 1,136 yards and four touchdowns on 94 receptions.

Of course, the way they play is completely different, but the bottom line is that their numbers are similar. Gase and the Dolphins organization may believe they can get the same numbers from a cheaper player, even if that person isn’t as flashy or exciting.

The clock is ticking on a long-term deal between the Dolphins and Landry. If the season rolls around and there hasn’t been a conversation about a contract, 2017 will likely be Landry’s last year in Miami.