The Miami Dolphins have traded star wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for third-round picks in 2012 and 2013, FOX’s Jay Glazer is reporting.
The team confirmed its trade of Marshall "in exchange for two undisclosed draft choices" in a Twitter message shortly afterward on Tuesday afternoon.
The news came just as the NFL free agency period began, with the Dolphins still in the hunt for Peyton Manning, whom they met with for five to six hours Monday night.
NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk calls the clearing-out trade of Marshall “sort of like reverse-Peyton bait,” given some worries about their would-be chemistry on the Dolphins, which is now a moot point.
Marshall won the Pro Bowl MVP after catching a record-setting four touchdowns in the all-star game in late January.
Acquired in a trade with Denver in 2010, Marshall was one of the most productive members of the Dolphins offense for two straight seasons, catching 86 passes for 1,014 yards in 2010 and 81 for 1,214 in 2011.
Miami acquired Marshall from the Broncos during the 2010 offseason in exchange for a pair of second-round picks, then gave Marshall a four-year contract extension worth $47.5 million. While he has put up good numbers for the Dolphins, many were disappointed with his seemingly inconsistent play in 2011. He dropped five potential touchdown receptions last season, which was indicative of how the entire year went for the Dolphins.
Making this trade extra juicy is the fact that rumors have been circulating suggesting that Marshall's presence on the Dolphins may have presented a roadblock to signing free agent Manning.
Mike Beradino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wondered aloud a few days ago whether Marshall's reputation as a high-maintenance diva could be scaring away Manning. He contrasted Marshall with Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald, who reportedly had dinner with Manning in Indianapolis last month and played an active role in Manning's visit to the Cardinals’ facilities last weekend.
That could be a bit of a stretch, but it is not much of a stretch to suggest the Dolphins made this move to clear up cap space so they could acquire some key offensive cogs that would make Manning's life easier should he sign with Miami.
The move gives the Dolphins a good deal of extra cap space: $5.8 million. That ups Miami's room under the salary cap to just under $15 million.
WRs Vincent Jackson and Reggie Wayne could be targeted by the Dolphins, as well as OLs Jeff Saturday and Eric Winston. The Dolphins are also rumored to be interested in re-signing NT Paul Solia, who could be quite pricey.
Regardless, the Dolphins' pursuit of Manning, once thought to be all but over, just became really interesting again.
