Free-agent wide receiver Brian Hartline, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, might be on the radar of the New England Patriots. Or he might not.

This can be the tricky part of free agency, so let's recap what we know:

Veteran reporter Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer/Northeast Ohio Media Group put together a piece Thursday on Hartline that read in part, "Hartline, the Canton, Ohio, native, is still seriously considering the Browns even though he also has strong interest and possibly even solid offers from the Texans, Bears and Patriots, a source told Northeast Ohio Media Group."

As for the level of interest, it is notable that Hartline has not taken an official visit to the Patriots at this point, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Speaking on the Joe Rose Show in Miami on Friday, Rosenhaus left the Patriots out of the discussion altogether.

"Brian has already taken two visits; he's visited the Browns and he's visited the Texans," Rosenhaus said on Rose's program. "Sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side. I'm not predicting he's going to be back [in Miami], I'm just saying it is a possibility; there are [also] other teams that are interested. We've talked to a number of other teams, including, among others, the Kansas City Chiefs. So he's got some options right now.

"We may wait until free agency starts and then you've got the merry-go-round. You're going to start to have teams lose receivers and there is a lot of guys that should sign quickly ... there's going to be quite a bit of movement and a player like Brian, his stock could move up as teams lose guys."

Perhaps the Patriots fall into that final category, as their interest could be contingent on the contractual status of Danny Amendola. (Is a $4 million base salary for Amendola deemed too rich by management?)

One additional note: Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll was Miami's offensive coordinator in 2011, so he has familiarity with Hartline.