Brandon Marshall Practices with Miami Dolphins after Hip Surgery

Troubled Dolphins fans saw the usual awful foreshadowing of next season when Brandon Marshall was advised by doctors to have offseason surgery on his hip.

Dolphins fans, however, had something to cheer about when Marshall stepped onto the practice field during OTAs on Wednesday.

Marshall's Recovery

Many did not expect Marshall to make it to OTAs or minicamp, but his recovery seems to be running ahead of schedule.

Marshall only practiced for 10 to 15 minutes. Neither Tony Sparano nor Marshall claimed initiative for bringing Marshall back to practice.

Up until now, Marshall had only used the exercise bike when at the OTAs and minicamps.

Marshall's Acquisition

Marshall is one of Miami's biggest acquisition in years. He is believed to be the solution to Miami's lackluster pass offense, which is being blamed on Chad Henne not having a No. 1 target during games.

Marshall, known for his off the field troubles, was acquired from the Denver Broncos for a second round pick in this year's NFL Draft.

The Dolphins hope that Marhall's local ties—he played high school football in Florida—will encourage him to improve his off the field behavior.

Despite being benched for his behavior in the last game of the season, Marshall had 101 receptions for 1,120 yards in 2009.