How About a Dez Bryant to Go with That Brandon Marshall, Miami?

Now that the Miami Dolphins have acquired Brandon Marshall from the Denver Broncos, receiver becomes one of the least areas of concern for this team. 

As a result, all logic points toward the Dolphins drafting defense with the 12th pick in next week's draft.

But let's take a ride on the crazy train for a second.

Let's continue down the same trail that saw vice president of football operations Bill Parcells and general manager Jeff Ireland go against everything they stand for in Wednesday's franchise-altering trade. 

For the last two years, this team has preached about wanting good character players, of avoiding divas, and targeting team-first athletes. The front office has coveted draft picks like the lost ark, and up until the Marshall trade, had been more than reluctant to give up picks and dollars in the same deal. 

Well, that all went out the window the moment they gave up two second-round picks and signed Marshall to the richest contract of any receiver in NFL history. 

Are they hypocrites for doing so?

Maybe, but that really isn't the issue. You see, talent trumps all in this league; it always has. Troubled pasts fade from view awfully fast when production speaks louder. 

Marshall is second to only Wes Welker in receptions over the last three years, with only five wide receivers collecting more yardage over that stretch. 

That's the kind of talent and production that allows decision makers to disregard a checkered past like they would last night's garbage. 

So, while the Dolphins front office might have gone against their mantra, they did so with good cause. Trading for, and signing, Marshall signals that this team is not only in the win now mode, but that they've figured out what wins in today's NFL.

Parcells has long been a defense first, power running game, type of coach. That's the model he's constructed since his two championships with the New York Giants; one he's brought with him everywhere he's gone. 

But the NFL is an air-it-out mans game these days.

The league wants high-scoring, chunk yardage contests that excite its fan bases; and the rules have altered to fit that need. 

You don't need to look any further than the Colts-Saints Super Bowl to understand the importance of that. 

Indianapolis was dead last in the league rushing the ball last season. They had the 18th rated defense, New Orleans had the 25th. On the flip-side, the Colts and Saints boasted the second and fourth ranked passing attacks, respectively. 

Well, it looks the Dolphins were paying attention from their living rooms while they watched two of the hottest offensives in football duke it out on the big stage. And they must have come to the same conclusion many other teams have begun to realize as well. 

The 1990s model for success may have met its match in the form of 21st century pass-happy clubs like the Saints and Colts.

Brandon Marshall was a huge step in the right direction for Miami, but why not take another gamble? Why not add even more gun powder to the cannon?

Can you imagine how difficult it would be to slow down an offense featuring not only Marshall, but Dez Bryant as well? 

It sounds crazy, right? Maybe it is. But it's no crazier than investing almost $50 million in a player who could be another domestic violence charge away from a one-year suspension by the league. 

Bryant comes with character concerns and a diva label not unlike Marshall's, but he brings similar talent as well. 

The combination of the two could prove a lethal dose of locker room poison, or a perfect harmony of success. The coaching staff might be overwhelmed with internal issues or grinning while the pair lights up scoreboards into February. 

There's really no telling exactly how a situation like that could turn out. But one thing is for certain, the Dolphins believe they can control Marshall; they wouldn't have made this deal and filled his wallet if they felt otherwise. 

If Marshall can be tamed, then so can Bryant.

So what's stopping Miami from making the selection no one thinks they'll make? There are far greater needs at nose tackle, pass rusher and free safety. But while popular picks like defensive tackle Dan Williams and outside linebacker Derrick Morgan would improve the defense, a pick like Dez Bryant would elevate the Dolphins' offense to the game's highest echelon.

In a league that so heavily favors the passing game, having arguably the best receiver duo in the NFL playing behind an All-Pro offensive line, on a team featuring a top-rated running game, would make the Dolphins a terrifying opponent. 

There won't be more than a handful of teams, if that, who would have the personnel to match them on the scoreboard. 

That's the type of difference a player like Bryant could make; a difference that just couldn't be made on defense with prospects like Williams or Morgan. 

The Dolphins have already tipped the scales in favor of the offense with the addition of Brandon Marshall. Why not continue down that path a little further and see what else you can find?

Its very possible Bryant won't even be available when Miami's on the clock with the 12th overall pick, but if he is, then the Dolphins may turn quite a few heads when their selection is announced. 

No one in the draft, besides possibly C.J. Spiller, can make the immediate impact on offense that Bryant can. He'd team up with Marshall and turn the Dolphins from a club that couldn't pass a second grade quiz into one that would be nearly unstoppable for half a decade. 

So for a moment put need aside and ask yourself what talent like Bryant's could do to this team.

Don't forget, talent trumps all.