Dolphins to interview GM finalists this weekend

The Miami Dolphins plan to interview at least two finalists for the vacant general manager position starting this weekend, according to source familiar with the process.

The club -- which has been in contact with the seven men who already interviewed for the job -- will begin calls to six of those men in the next few hours to either 1. tell them they are one of the finalists and schedule the second interview or 2. thank the men for being part of the process and say the team is moving in a different direction.

The Dolphins had hoped to interview at least one more candidate this week, most likely plucked off a playoff team that participated in Championship Weekend last Sunday. But those hopes faded for unknown reasons and the likelihood that will happen are now slim.

The Dolphins plan to hire their next general manager well before the Super Bowl in 10 days and there is even optimism within the organization a new GM could be in place by Monday, the source said.

Earlier Wednesday, the NFL Network reported the Dolphins tried to hire Arizona's Jason Licht when the team caught wind of the fact Licht was offered the general manager job in Tampa Bay.

Two sources -- one very close to Licht and a Dolphins source -- said the report is not accurate.

The Dolphins indeed found out Licht was offered the Tampa Bay job and contacted him to inform him he'd be would be one of the finalists brought in this coming weekend. The Dolphins wanted to give Licht the option of waiting for the finalist interview before making his decision final.

Both sources confirm Licht decided to go with proverbial bird in the hand, taking the certain job offer rather than waiting to see if he would make the cut in Miami to have two job offers.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross will be part of the finalists interviews and will be the man hiring the new GM. He has not left the country this week.

Aside from Licht, the Dolphins have interviewed Cleveland's Ray Farmer, Tennessee's Lake Dawson, Pittsburgh's Omar Khan, Tampa Bay's Dennis Hickey, Detroit's Brian Xanders, and in-house candidate Brian Gaine.

One of those will be Miami's new GM perhaps as early as Monday.