The σ-exchange and f 2 -exchange mechanisms for ρ meson photoproduction are re-examined. Then the commonly employed σ-exchange amplitude is revised by using the recent information from the analyses on the ρ → π 0 π 0 γ decay and the σN N coupling constant from Bonn potential. Instead of relying on the Pomeron-f proportionality assumption, the f 2 meson exchange amplitude is established from an effective Lagrangian which is constructed from the tensor structure of the f 2 meson. Phenomenological information together with tensor meson dominance and vector meson dominance assumptions are used to estimate the f 2 coupling constants. As a first step to improve the current theoretical models, we have also explored the effects due to the un-correlated 2π exchange amplitude with πN intermediate state. This leading-order 2π exchange amplitude can be calculated using the coupling constants determined from the study of pion photoproduction and the empirical width of ρ → ππ decay. In comparing with the existing differential cross section data, we find that a model with the constructed 2π, σ, and f 2 exchanges is comparable to the commonly used σ exchange model in which the σ coupling parameters are simply adjusted to fit the experimental data. We suggest that experimental verifications of the predicted single and double spin asymmetries in the small |t| (< 2 GeV 2 ) region will be useful for distinguishing the two models and improving our understanding of the non-resonant amplitude of ρ photoproduction. Possible further improvements of the model are discussed.