The Miami Dolphins traded star wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Bears for two 3rd round picks on Tuesday. The move comes just one day after new head coach Joe Philbin met with Peyton Manning to reportedly discuss offensive scheme and philosophy. Are the two moves related? Maybe they are. This is pure speculation, the best kind of speculation, but maybe Miami got word that Manning would not be interested in signing with a team that was so offensively dependant on a player like Marshall, who may be viewed by many as undependable.
Marshall has already had one franchise give up on him. He was traded by the Denver Broncos after three straight 100 catch seasons because of misbehaviour and clashes with then head coach Josh McDaniels. If the Dolphins received word that Manning would not be interested in playing for a team with a prominent player such as Marshall it would not shock me if Stephen Ross pulled the strings to get him out-of-town post-haste.
We all know that the Dolphins owner is the one calling the shots in Miami, and it has been widely reported that he is desperate to make Peyton Manning a Dolphin for this upcoming season. I would not put it past him to move quickly to make a move like this even if he is fully aware that this might not even net him the player he covets. This could be the reason Marshall was moved only one day after the Peyton Manning visit, and it could be the reason the Dolphins received so little in return.
Marshall is a player who was worth two 2nd round picks to the Dolphins only two seasons ago. In his time with Miami he has been a productive receiver, producing 1,000 yards in each season with the Dolphins, even while he never found an established quarterback to play with. He might not have matched the heights he achieved while in Denver but I don’t think anyone in the league would argue that Marshall is anything but a dominant #1 receiver.
The timing of this move is curious and so is the return. You don’t give up blue chip players for unknown mid-round picks. There is more to this story, and hopefully it comes out soon. One also has to wonder if San Fran’s acquisition of Randy Moss, who suffered an agonizing 2010 season before a brief retirement, has also taken the 49ers out of the Manning sweepstakes for similar reasons.
…and that is the last word.
