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Sheppard re-signs with Dolphins; tender placed on Shelby

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MIAMI (AP) The Miami Dolphins made a handful of roster moves on the first day of free agency while they worked toward finalizing a contract with the top prize in this year's class, Ndamukong Suh.

An agreement with Suh is widely expected Wednesday, with Miami outbidding all competition for the three-time first-team All-Pro defensive tackle. Suh would replace Jared Odrick, who agreed to terms Tuesday on a deal with Jacksonville.

Miami created a little cap space for Suh's huge contract by releasing guard Shelley Smith, who started three games last season. Smith was due to make $2.75 million this year.

The Dolphins restructured the contract of punter Brandon Fields, who accepted a pay cut rather than being released.

''I've played 129 games in a row as a Miami Dolphin,'' Fields tweeted. ''Happy to be able to keep the streak going!''

Reserve safety Michael Thomas re-signed after missing the second half of last season with a chest injury. The Dolphins also re-signed linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who played mostly on special teams last year.

Miami placed a one-year, $2.4 million second-round tender on defensive lineman Derrick Shelby on Tuesday, making it likely he'll remain with the team. Shelby played in 15 games last year and had three sacks.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL