Kyle Orton Trade Rumors: What Are Dolphins Chances in AFC East with Orton?

While acquiring Kyle Orton from the Denver Broncos would provide an instant boost to the Miami Dolphins offense, they would still be stuck behind the New England Patriots and New York Jets in the AFC East.

The Dolphins defense finished sixth in the NFL in yards allowed last season and should be strong again this season. By reintegrating Jason Taylor into the squad on third downs, they should get some extra pressure on the quarterback too.

While the defense will be able to keep most opposing offenses in check, what will happen when they go up against the Patriots? Over their past six games against New England, the Dolphins are giving up an average of 31 points per game while going 2-4 in the process.

When you flip the script and talk about the offense, the Dolphins would possess four playmakers and an improving offense line. Orton, Brandon Marshall, Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush can all be counted on to meet expectations and Jake Long is the anchor every team wants playing left tackle.

But while the offense should be able to scrape together enough points to beat the average and below-average teams, what occurs when they match up with the Jets? Rex Ryan will most certainly have his players ready to shut down the running game while Darrelle Revis will be locking down Marshall.

When you consider those two scenarios against their two biggest rivals, things look bleak for the Dolphins. Even with Orton, the best the Dolphins will likely finish is 9-7 and in the AFC, that usually isn't good enough to make the playoffs.

Knowing that, another question is raised: is a trade for Orton worth it? As their AFC East foes in Buffalo would attest, the last thing you want do to is go 9-7 or 8-8 every season. Not only haven't the Bills made the playoffs in over a decade, but they haven't had many top-five picks either.

The bottom line is, in the NFL you either want to be at the top or at the bottom, you don't want to be stuck in the middle. If the Dolphins acquire Orton, although it would be an upgrade at an important position, they would likely get stuck in the middle.

Orton will be a free agent after the 2011 season, so if the Dolphins feel they have made enough upgrades by that time, then it might be a smart move to sign him. But as the roster stands now, they aren't going to overtake the Patriots or Jets with Orton anyway, so they might as well stand pat.