The Dolphins have traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two third-round selections, according to Jay Glazer of Foxsports.com.
[Update: The Herald has confirmed this move.]
The move clears salary cap room and could signal a precursor to the Dolphins landing Peyton Manning as well as several of his former Indianapolis Colts teammates, including Reggie Wayne. That is my hope.
The more likely scenario?
This move does not show intent to get Manning and is instead a move to protect the next quarterback the Dolphins bring to town -- anyone that is, including a lesser player such as Matt Flynn -- because Marshall has had a history of feuding with his QBs in Miami. This move is a way for the Dolphins to begin what will be a total revamp of the offense under new coach Joe Philbin.
[Update: Club source says this trade is independent of Manning chase. Manning didn't request it or anything such as being speculated. Been in the works since the NFL Combine in Feb. But, I'm told, if Manning comes it would mean other moves would be necessary.]
The trade reunites Marshall with former quarterback Jay Cutler which is great for the Bears. But does this make the Dolphins better?
Only if Manning and another player is coming or the Dolphins are somehow adding a bigtime playmaking wide receiver in free agency or the draftis this a net plus. This much is certain: If the Dolphins are not working on or ready to pull the trigger on a follow-up move, this shows the Marshall move two years ago to have been a bad move.
The Dolphins yielded two second-round picks to Denver for Marshall. They are not getting the same value in return. Yes, Marshall was a Pro Bowl player in 2011, but he was also often a problem in that he feuded with Chad Henne and made no bones of the fact he wanted a franchise quarterback.
Oh, by the way, NFL free agency arrives ... now!
It is 4:01 p.m. on March 13, 2012 and so bracketology schmacketology. The news at this hour?
Say good-bye to nose tackle Paul Soliai. The Dolphins do not expect to re-sign their 2011 Franchise player. Not only have the two sides failed to come to an agreement on a long-term contract the past two years but the Dolphins, apparently intent on making a quarterback splash in free agency and knowing Soliai won't come cheaply, haven't made the nose tackle any contract offers in recent weeks.
There has been no movement on this front whatever. Barring a major MAJOR change, Soliai is gone. So where is he going? Soliai will have suitors. The teams expected to show the most interest in Soliai include Kansas City, Denver, Atlanta, Indianiapolis and perhaps San Francisco.
[Update: The Dolphins have in the last hour reached out to Soliai and are talking. So there's still a chance he stays.]
The Dolphins have another starter on the open market in defensive end Kendall Langford. The sides have been in relatively frequent contact the past week or so. The Dolphins want Langford back. Langford wants to return. But Langford wants the most amount of money possible. The Dolphins want to re-sign Langford at a number that shows they like him very much but don't necessarily love him.
What a shocker: It's a money thing.
On the chase front, the Dolphins are obviously still hoping to land Peyton Manning. But, as I reported earlier today, they will move on to Matt Flynn if the Manning chase fails. A source tells The Herald's Barry Jackson that Flynn will be patient in free agency unless someone throws a huge offer on the table for him immediately.
Yes, Seattle and Cleveland could have interest. But the Flynn camp understands the Dolphins being in the chase would drive up interest and potentially drive up Flynn's price. And since money is the thing, patience will be something Flynn shows.
He's looking to go deep on this contract rather than get a check-down deal.
I am not certain the Dolphins will be major players in free agency -- at least not early on. The club is approximately $11-$12 million under the NFL's $120.6 million salary cap before the Marshall trade. Obviously that is more now, but I have to figure out the ramifications.
Miami's needs include pass-rusher, right tackle, and cornerback. Of all those, the cornerback market seems expecially rich this free agency period. Yes, right tackle Eric Winston and outside linebacker/defensive end Mario Williams are the prizes on the market, but they will be so expensive I cannot see Miami chasing or landing either. (Wrote about it anyway because I'm a dreamer and anything is possible.)
[Update: I have confirmed that Eric Winston will visit with the Dolphins. This doesn't mean he's signing. A lot of teams are interested -- up to a dozen -- and he is not going to sign a bargain contract. But he is scheduled to visit at this time.]
[Update: Eric Winston said on Sirius radio that he will fly to South Florida tonight and visit the Dolphins Wednesday.]
The Dolphins today did some minor contract laundry with their restricted and exclusive rights players. The club tendered RT Lydon Murtha with a second-round tender. The club tendered defensive end Phillip Merling to an original round tender. Both have signed their tenders, costing the Dolphins a total of $3.1 million.
The club did not tender either running back Lex Hilliard or defensive lineman Ryan Baker.
sure fbd, way to make stuff up. stir things up
Posted by: dusty bottoms | March 13, 2012 at 06:23 PM
best girlfriends in the fild, two public enemy in the streets, good luck Chicago fans
Posted by: Tigre | March 13, 2012 at 06:24 PM
^ this
Posted by: jamesthefinfan | March 13, 2012 at 06:24 PM
cutler and marshall have been awesome together, good deal for both. why is williams leaning towards buffalo?!?!
Posted by: dusty bottoms | March 13, 2012 at 06:25 PM
Manning is not even with the Dolphins, he's a crippled player, and he's ruling this team now. Gizz, this is amazing. This is an Ireland-Ross move, and now Philbin's too. Unless they have an ace hidden somewhere (I really doubt it) this seems like the must stupid and ridiculous move in last years, like the Welker move.
I'm speechless. What else now ?
Is Ross planning to sell the team to a corn farmer in Holocomb, Kansas ?
Posted by: marchcool | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
Oh yeah the Dolphins are getting better. They lose a dominant run stopping NT and a top 5 WR. LMFAO. Yeah you're going to find replacements for those two in the draft ... lots of acorns out there capable of matching their productivity no problem! LMFAO.
Posted by: Reality | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
I can only pray that miami has a plan for this like everyone keeps speculating....but until then, given ross's and irelands history already....Optimism is not something I would express right now...WTF would be more appropriate!!!!...but nothing new I guess....just sayin!!!
Posted by: superPHIN | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
WE GOT ROBBED...
Posted by: sagneul | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
We are getting orton to back up moore............funny stuff
Posted by: jamesthefinfan | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
DB - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Posted by: wolfman13 | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
“I’ll put whatever reputation I have on the line behind that guy right now,” Stokley told the Denver Post’s Mike Klis. “He looks great.”
That should make everyone feel better about Peyton.
Posted by: JackSparrow | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
top 5 wr, uh no hes not close
Posted by: dusty bottoms | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
Out with the old, in with the new. Who is next, I suspect there are more surprises coming.
Adding the right players has to involve eliminating the wrong ones, who doesn't fit Philbins plan. Should be interesting.
Posted by: Few920 | March 13, 2012 at 06:29 PM
This BLOG is on fire right now!!!
I would like to see Reggie Nelson signed!
Nice to see that Garcon is coming to Miami too. Ah... Nope!
This whole Manning thing has been wishful thinking.
I think at this point, I'm gonna believe in the Coach Philbin's direction.
Posted by: JOE PHILBIN CLIPBOARD | March 13, 2012 at 06:29 PM
dusty,
They were SO awesome together the best they could do together was be 8-8. In your book that would be 'garbage'.
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:29 PM
This could be a long play for sure. I don't think we are out of it for Manning. Either way Marshall a diva! He and Cutler are made for each other.
Posted by: TC | March 13, 2012 at 06:30 PM
I can only pray that miami has a plan for this like everyone keeps speculating....but until then, given ross's and irelands history already....Optimism is not something I would express right now...WTF would be more appropriate!!!!...but nothing new I guess....just sayin!!!
Posted by: superPHIN | March 13, 2012 at 06:26 PM
_________________________________________________________________________________
The plan is to basically start from scratch.....new owner (relatively)......whole new coaching staff......new philosophy (Philbin and Co).
Isn't this what everyone wanted? I mean c'mon.....everyone was clamoring for Sparano's Exodus.....this is kinda what happens, generally speaking. Not sure why so many are shocked here.
Posted by: wolfman13 | March 13, 2012 at 06:30 PM
it doesnt matter what kind of plan Ireland has in mind... get 2 3rd rounds for a pro bowl--1000 yds player is a bad bussiness...
Posted by: sagneul | March 13, 2012 at 06:30 PM
craig 2 players dont make a team. but the bears are very good , adding a solid wr who already knows cutler could be huge for them
Posted by: dusty bottoms | March 13, 2012 at 06:30 PM
Marshall was a ball dropping machine, who's route's usually are not sharp. Getting rid of his salary and bad attitude are good moves regardless of anything else. He is a guy who is not good for an offensive scheme like ours will be. I am glad we moved him for two third round picks. VERY GLAD.
Posted by: Steve | March 13, 2012 at 06:31 PM
we have more to gain than lose, any other Diva whant to see the door
Posted by: Tigre | March 13, 2012 at 06:31 PM
Sign Eric Winston
Sign Brandon Jacobs
and with Reggie Bush...
The real THUNDER AND LIGHTNING!
Posted by: Michael Fleming | March 13, 2012 at 06:32 PM
wolf,
You are EXACTLY right. Getting rid of the HC doesn't just mean getting rid of the HC. Very often it can mean getting rid of a lot of things. Philbin and staff have their own way of doing things. We opened this whole can of worms....people are going to have to deal with it.
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:33 PM
NFL network, here I come!! All night!!
FYI. No master plan! They just wanted Marshall gone!!
Posted by: JOE PHILBIN CLIPBOARD | March 13, 2012 at 06:34 PM
who will be our #1 and 2 i will wait and see how our team look if we are dolphins fans lets just say they have a plan for this
Posted by: jihad | March 13, 2012 at 06:35 PM
The Dolphins saved pennies as they saved $5.8M in cap for the Marshall trade.
So two #2 high draft picks and $24M guaranteed for the two years for around $38M.
That can only be because Manning will be a dolphin and the Fins gave away Marshall for a steel to have more loot for Peyton.
Other then that, WHY would the Dolphins part ways and take a loss unless Peyton didn't like Marshall and he wanted him gone and more $ to sign with the fins.
Posted by: NY "G" | March 13, 2012 at 06:35 PM
Garzon to redskins... nfl has reported it
Posted by: sagneul | March 13, 2012 at 06:35 PM
Sun Sentinel reporting Dolphins are in Indy right now and meeting with Titans cancelled.
Posted by: John | March 13, 2012 at 06:36 PM
No wolfman
IDIOT owner(that thinks were a piece away from SB)
Idiot Ireland(whose proven that with his drafts arent the vision of this team translating to playoffs)
NEW STAFF(who the hell know what to expect from them)
AND 4 more years of rebuilding...doesnt sound like a recipe for future success to me...!!!
Posted by: superPHIN | March 13, 2012 at 06:36 PM
dusty,
You just told me 'tow players don't make a team' and now you're saying it 'could be huge for them'. Which is it? Still say the Packers will kick their ass 'till the cows come home and the Lions are a better team too.
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:38 PM
superPHIN - It's the only recipe there is. The only other thing I can think of is an outside chance Manning said no way he would play with Marshall.....which I could actually see.
Posted by: wolfman13 | March 13, 2012 at 06:39 PM
Must sign reggie wayne to get manning. According to double chinned lombardi and la cansuckya they are convinced miami has no shot at manning. Now they say tenn. Has a shot.
Posted by: Dolphin 77 | March 13, 2012 at 06:39 PM
Well one of the needs now is a number one receiver. Marshall attracted attention which made Bess, Fasano and Hartline better. He has to be replaced with a number one because there is not that much talent at wide receiver. There are several FA receivers available to replace Marshalls talent. The Dolphins must get one of them so they don't set the offense back. Bess, Fasano and Hartline are all average receivers.
Posted by: promichael | March 13, 2012 at 06:39 PM
Reggie Bush be prepaired to see 8 in the box. No outside threat. Even if BM dropped passes, the defense still had to respect him.
I bet this is a move for Tebow, if Peyton signs with Denver, Ireland will trade for Tebow. Dont need a probowl reciever if you have Tebow.
Posted by: this sucks | March 13, 2012 at 06:39 PM
...People have every right to be upset. Who Am i to try and talk anyone off the cliff right now. The deal seems a little strange..Not so much the compensation..Sorry folks this is more then fair. But the reasoning. Still. Like I said. I will hold out judgement until we get into game situations and see who the replacements are. It is possible that the team has a plan that NONE of us has thought of. It is possible to replace Marshall, and it is possible we will be better down the road..Lets see how this goes. Come week 5 and we have Hartline, Bess, and a rookie say Malcom Floyd, and we can't get open, or the production is nill..Then be outraged..Go for it. but isn't it too early to say were doomed, and this was a bad trade??
BTW..For you Flyod guys. I wasn't picking on him. I just used him as an example of a possible replacement..Lots of options. I can't even begin to guess what we will do.
Posted by: Darryl Dunphy | March 13, 2012 at 06:40 PM
They will take a WR #1 and use their two 3's for a second #2
Posted by: Clyde | March 13, 2012 at 06:43 PM
nobody is reporting nothing about manning to miami or cancelling titans
Posted by: yippers | March 13, 2012 at 06:43 PM
Let's not forget about Marion Moore and Wallace
Posted by: Clyde | March 13, 2012 at 06:43 PM
bess has dropped off the past two years what r u smoking, he was better when marshall was not there
Posted by: yippers | March 13, 2012 at 06:44 PM
garcon gets 8.5 mil fron redskins... still marshall= 2 3rd picks is a good move??
Posted by: sagneul | March 13, 2012 at 06:45 PM
From Armando's Twitter account:
When he asked about what give with the Marshall trade 'Be patient. There's more to come'.
Read into that what you will....
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:46 PM
this offense has regressed back to the fiedler days...thats what it looks like to me as of right now....except we dont have a bruiser in ricky williams to carry the load anymore(sorry, bush will NEVER be that)....the NO name offense!!!
Posted by: superPHIN | March 13, 2012 at 06:46 PM
Oh I forgot...
Odinseye, man up. Your story about my post was total BS. You can tell me you saw my text in blue 10 more times, but it isn't possible, so bag it and be a man not a mouse. It is no big deal, but a lie is a lie, don't try to pass your false accusations off as a joke.
Posted by: Clyde | March 13, 2012 at 06:46 PM
geez craig we knew that hours ago, thanks though
Posted by: yippers | March 13, 2012 at 06:46 PM
OK I have now lost faith in the Dolphins brass, Ross and Ireland are pathetic unless they prove me wrong after trading Brandon the beast Marshall. The only way this is covered up now is the signing of Peyton Manning and a stud Receiver plus other free-agents or Top rookie Receiver.
I cannot believe that the Dolphins just did that. This team will never return to it's glory days until we have men who can run the show not those who don't know anything about football.
I am so upset and totally dejected now, I don't really know after 25 years of supporting the Fins that I should now give up.
Posted by: Jaymesh | March 13, 2012 at 06:46 PM
Guys see my previous post from 30 minutes ago PHINS MEETING WITH MANNING RIGHT NOW!!!!
Posted by: fbd2707748 | March 13, 2012 at 06:49 PM
Mando please check to see where phins brass are
Posted by: fbd2707748 | March 13, 2012 at 06:50 PM
..I don't know if the meaning of releasing Marshall was a step to aquire Manning...If it was..Does the logic that the team is a bunch of fools, or that this whole Marshall trade is a joke still apply?? I am by no means saying this as the gosphel(that the Marshall trade equals a Manning signing) I am saying that if Marsahll was collateral damage for the greater good of the team..Will the mob still burn down the facility in Davie? Will the fans stil mutiny as mentioned earlier? Would trading Marshall be worth it it if meant landing Peyton Manning?? Of course..Lots of things can happen. Why all the gloom and doom?
Posted by: Darryl Dunphy | March 13, 2012 at 06:50 PM
If you wanted to keep Marshall than you're crazy. He's lazy drops as many balls as he catch's and is a total cancer to the locker room. It seems like all you people want are big names. Big names don't win games, solid teams do. We got to 3rd rounders because he is a cancer stop complaining I bet your bosses think your a crappy worker too; if you have jobs.
Posted by: CA Phin fan | March 13, 2012 at 06:50 PM
Good move, BM was a head case. Dropped too many red zone passes. Not a good one to have in the locker room with a new quarterback, especially a young one (not Manning). As stated frequently by others, Philbin is not having the drama. New sherrif in town.
Posted by: The real G | March 13, 2012 at 06:50 PM
Henne already has stops scheduled in Seattle and Jacksonville. Funny that other teams think more of him than the Miami fans do. Guess this idea that 'he'll never get another job in the league' is likely to go out the window. Didn't take long...
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:51 PM
thats it ... Miami all over Flynn!!!... they just made an offer
Posted by: sagneul | March 13, 2012 at 06:53 PM
Marshall got us to 6-10. What's all the noise about? 6-10 isn't good enough in anyone's books. Nobody is saying it's his fault but you'd think we just traded the guy was key to us winning championships....give me a break!
Marshall for two thirds, two years after we gave up two seconds, sounds about right to me.
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:54 PM
Yea, seattle and Jacksonville, not sure how much of a step up that would be, and if tebow goes to jax, guess where henne will be standing????
YEP , thats right, at tebows holy water stand handing out free virgin pamphlets to tebow lovers everywhere...please!!!!
Posted by: superPHIN | March 13, 2012 at 06:55 PM
The question Craig M....is is the job a starter job...or a back up...
and the FANS have NOTHING to do with...last i checked...it was the Owner...GM...and coach...among others who determine what FA they had visits with....
Posted by: Kris | March 13, 2012 at 06:57 PM
Come on people, getting rid of Marshal is a good thing. He was too expensive and NOT THAT GOOD! Not to mention his attitude. As for the rest, EVERYONE has been saying for years that the Phins need to rebuild and NOT look for the quick fix, nor EVERYBODY want to take a chance on old. broken Payton as a quick way to the playoffs or even...No. I say, stick with Moore, work out his pocket fear by building up the OLine and work on his ability to LOOK around the field, (with Marshal gone he'll have to), then get some PASS DEFENSE, especially in the secondary. We have to lose the mantra they "If you want to beat the Dolphins, just pass the ball".
Posted by: Enough | March 13, 2012 at 06:57 PM
Watch the Bears make the NFC championship or even worse win the Super Bowl this year and that 3rd turns into a near 4th. Man, Trading to a team thats picking 19 th and only getting 2 3s is just rediculus. A 2nd would have been more like it.
Posted by: sdobcane | March 13, 2012 at 06:57 PM
Until Manning releases a statement, or announces that He's a Miami Dolphin, "believe nothing you hear, and half of what you see"...
Posted by: Fin'FanSince4Ever | March 13, 2012 at 06:58 PM
Omar K is reporting that Miami and the Browns are in negotiations with Flynn.
twitter.com/#!/omarkelly
Posted by: Texas_Dolfan | March 13, 2012 at 06:58 PM
Kris,
I get that. I just find it ironic that teams are so quick to jump on him. There were lots on here who said there would be no market for him. When there's guy like Curtis Painter in the league, a 26 year old QB will still be desirable for some teams.
Posted by: Craig M | March 13, 2012 at 06:59 PM