Miami Dolphins shopping cornerback Will Davis

The Miami Dolphins are calling other NFL teams offering players not necessarily in their 2015 plans and one player the team is offering in trade is cornerback Will Davis, according to a league source.

Davis, in his third season, has been hot and cold during the current preseason as he's tried to return from a knee injury and surgery last season that sent him to the injured reserve list November 15.

Davis played well in the preseason opener against Chicago but struggled in the second preseason game against Carolina, giving up consecutive first-down completions and then being flagged for pass interference.

That inconsistency, which has been present throughout camp practices as well, and the fact the Dolphins have other cornerbacks they like on the roster has led to the team shopping Davis for a possible trade.

It is unclear if the team will cut Davis if it cannot find a taker for the former third-round draft pick. The Dolphins were not immediately available for comment.

Coach Joe Philbin on Tuesday was asked if the Dolphins will weigh both the current performance level and the fact Davis may be better later this season -- perhaps when he's further out from the surgery -- as part of the player's evaluation.

“I think there’s a little bit of both," Philbin said. "Obviously, he is coming off of an injury and we’ve seen development over the last five weeks and so we think there will be some more development there from a physical standpoint. Then obviously the performance, you’ve got to weigh all those things when you make a decision."

The Dolphins have multiple cornerback options aside from Davis.

Brent Grimes and Jamar Taylor or Brice McCain will be the starters. Then Zack Bowman and rookies Bobby McCain and Tony Lippett are likely to make the team as reserves. That's six cornerbacks.

So would the Dolphins keep a seventh cornerback to go with three or perhaps four safeties? Unlikely.

Most teams keep between 8-10 defensive backs on their 53-man roster.

Even if the Dolphins find a taker for Davis, it is unlikely they would get a high-round or even mid-round draft pick in return.