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The Miami Dolphins have traded receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two third-round picks. The reports indicate Chicago will send its third-round pick in 2012 and 2013 to Miami.
The Bears have announced the move, which reunites Marshall with quarterback Jay Cutler.
Marshall and Cutler started their careers together with the Denver Broncos in 2006, and Marshall made the Pro Bowl in 2008 with Cutler throwing him the ball, totaling 104 receptions for 1,265 receiving yards with six touchdowns.
Also in Chicago is quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who worked with Cutler and Marshall in Denver.
The Bears were in search of a big-play target to complement Cutler. Chicago hasn't had a receiver with a 1,000-yard receiving season in nine years. They have clearly made a major upgrade -- one that Fantasy owners can expect to benefit Cutler, Marshall and Matt Forte.
If nothing else, the 6-4 Marshall instantly gives the Bears’ offense, now under first-year coordinator Mike Tice, a big-time playmaker. As the Chicago Tribune noted, the Bears had an extra third-round pick in this year’s draft from the Panthers for the Greg Olsen trade. It’s not known what specific picks were sent to the Dolphins.
Sources told Tribune staffer Brad Biggs that the Bears were working hard to sign Vincent Jackson in free agency but his price tag could have gone beyond what they wanted to spend. The Bucs are currently considered the favorite to land Jackson.
Meanwhile, dealing Marshall allows the Dolphins to add to its draft war chest as new head coach Joe Philbin attempts to turn Miami around. However, it also deprives the Dolphins of the type of weapon that intrigued free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning.
Then again. ... As Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio suggested, it just might clear Marshall out in advance of the potential arrival of Manning, whom some believed had misgivings about playing with Marshall.
So, as Florio put it, "it’s sort of like reverse-Peyton bait."
We'll see about that angle. In case you missed it, Manning met with Philbin and members of his coaching staff on Monday. He had previously met with the Broncos and Cardinals. He is expected to meet with Titans head coach Mike Munchak today or tomorrow.
For the record, the Dolphins gave up two second-round picks to get Marshall in 2010. He has five straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and he was the MVP of the 2012 Pro Bowl, with four touchdown receptions.
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UPDATE: Marshall allegedly slugged a woman at a New York City nightclub this past weekend, the New York Post reported late tonight.
Marshall was at the club Sunday when he got into an argument with a group of friends celebrating a birthday, law-enforcement sources told the Post. Around 4 a.m., Christin Myles, 24. left an upper floor to greet a friend downstairs. When Myles tried to get back upstairs, a bouncer told her she had to wait because there was a fight between two football players -- Marshall, 27, and an unknown athlete -- who were being thrown out of the club.
She later met up with her friends, who were arguing with the NFL bad boy and the other football player outside.
Marshall then allegedly cold-cocked Myles in the left eye. She suffered a black eye.
It wasn't clear if he allegedly intended to strike her or one of her friends. Myles filed a police report. A lawyer for Marshall told the Post that the fight did not involve Marshall or his friends and claiming that Marshall's wife was hit in the face with a bottle, suffering a serious injury.
But police said the only report filed about that night names Marshall as a perpetrator. Sources tell the Post the Bears weren't aware of the incident but South Florida Sun-Sentinel staffer Omar Kelly says both teams knew. ... Stay tuned.
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UPDATE 2: In a statement issued Wednesday morning, the Bears acknowledged they knew about incident.
"Both the Bears and Dolphins were aware of what occurred over the weekend," Chicago GM Phil Emery said. "We decided to move forward with the trade. We have high expectations for Brandon as a Bear."
As Florio suggested, it probably would have looked worse if the Bears hadn't known, given the Sam Hurd situation from last year.
But Florio added: "It still looks pretty bad that they'd give up two third-round picks for a guy who still hasn't figured out how to not simply stay on the right side of the line but to stay as far away from the line as possible. ..."
That's a great point. Even if Marshall did nothing, his judgment for being in position (at a nightclub at four in the morning) to be accused has to be questioned.
As for whether Marshall will face disciplinary measures in the wake of the incident, that remains to be seen. Still, as Florio summed up: "Regardless of whether it will indeed be a problem, Marshall is now the Bears' problem."