What Are the Effects of the Brandon Marshall Trade To Miami Dolphins?

The Denver Broncos executed the much-anticipated trade of Brandon Marshall today. The two-time Pro Bowler was shipped to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a pair of second-round draft selections—the 43rd overall in this year’s along with one in 2011.

Brandon Marshall has been amidst trade talks over a year now. After signing a $2.521 million tender with the Broncos yesterday, he ultimately ensured an inevitable trade, and Miami reacted quickly.

Today, they signed him to a 4-year, $47.5 million contract extension, something that the Broncos clearly didn’t want to do.

The blockbuster move has several significant effects, ranging from inside to division to the NFL Draft.

First of all, Marshall will plug a gaping hole on the Dolphins’ roster. Despite showing little interest in him during free agency, it has been noted that they’ve been looking for a legitimate No. 1 weapon for their young QB, Chad Henne’s arsenal. Marshall, arguably the best young wideout in the league, definitely fits that bill.

Now, it appears that Tedd Ginn Jr., a first-round bust, could be on the trading block. The Fins will be looking for a mid-round pick in return.

With Marshall in Miami, the already competitive AFC East just got much more intriguing. It is a division that features Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Santonio Holmes, and Brandon Marshall.

For the majority of the past decade, the New England Patriots’ Bellicheck and Brady-led dynasty reigned among the top of the division. However, after the Dolphins surprisingly rebounded from a disappointing 1-15 season two years ago, and the Jets took a trip to the AFC Championship Game, it will be very interesting to see who the alpha team will be this time around.

In addition, this trade has enormous implications on Oklahoma State WR, Dez Bryant. Recently, his off-the-field actions have drawn major scrutiny, and as a result his draft stock has plummeted. Many believe he’s a Top 5 pick; yet, he probably won’t be drafted in the Top 10.

Many are pointing to Denver as a landing spot for Bryant, but I’m rather skeptical. Last year, after trading Cutler, Head Coach Josh McDaniels stated that he doesn’t believe in drafting to replace, a principle that could be applied in this situation as well.

Obviously, the team needs to address the WR position. The only other decent players they have at the position are Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley, who combined only managed to account for half of Marshall’s production.

However, they have bigger needs, especially on the defensive side. Rolando McClain and Dan Williams are two guys that they will be targeting.

They can answer their question marks at receiver later in the draft, possibly in the 2nd round when guys such as Arrelious Benn, Golden Tate, or Damian Williams will be available. Remember, the front office consists of former Patriots management, and the Patriots are praised for their magical ability to find success with lesser known players such as David Patten, David Givens, and more recently Julian Edelman.

Moreover, I don’t think that the Broncos organization would draft an unproven commodity with off-the-field concerns after they traded a superstar for the same reason.

With that said, if Bryant doesn’t go to San Francisco or Seattle, then he could drastically fall, possibly to Cincinnati at 21 or even to the second round.

Finally, the trade sends a message to the fans and the players that the Broncos won’t tolerate immature misconduct, yet they won’t cut ties with talented players unless the deal is fair, which in my mind, this deal is. Hopefully, moving forward, we will feel the same way when it all pans out.