Miami Dolphins: Best trade with the Denver Broncos didn’t work out well
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins best trade with Denver never really worked out well for Miami.
It is hard to imagine the Miami Dolphins making a great trade only to realize that they totally messed it up but that is exactly what happened.
Brandon Marshall was everything you could want in a top wide receiver. He was fast, he had great hands and knew how to use his body to shield off defenders. Before coming to Miami, he had established himself as one of the best at his position in the NFL. He was supposed to be a perfect fit.
The Dolphins needed a wide-receiver and had the money to pay him. Marshall wanted a new contract and the Broncos were not willing to make him one of the paid at the position. It should have been perfect. When the trade was made, it was.
Miami sent two 2nd round draft picks to the Broncos one in each of the 2010 and 2011 drafts. Denver used the two draft picks to take guard Zane Beadles and in 2011 drafted Orlando Franklin a right tackle. Franklin spent seven years in the NFL and Beadles spent 9. Both were top starters at their positions most of their careers.
In Miami, Marshall was expected to be everything that the Dolphins needed. Instead, he became a monumental headache.
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Marshall posted consecutive seasons of 1,000 plus receiving yards. What he didn’t do was get into the endzone enough. In his two seasons with Miami, he posted three and six touchdowns. He became a problem because he didn’t want to work with the Dolphins offense or quarterback Chad Henne.
It didn’t take long for the problems to surface both on the field and the sidelines. After making the Pro Bowl in his second season with the Dolphins and being named the game’s MVP, Jeff Ireland traded Marshall to the Bears for two third-round draft picks. One in 2012 and one in 2013. Marshall would make the Pro Bowl the next two seasons as he reunited with his Denver QB Jay Cutler.
Marshall’s last season in the NFL was in 2018 with the Seahawks.
The trade should have been a perfect one for Miami and the compensation given up and the talent received was a fantastic move for the Dolphins. Unfortunately, the had no clue how to fit him in with the roster and couldn’t handle his ego.