The first big surprise of the free agency period wasn’t a free agent signing, but a trade – the Miami Dolphins traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two third round draft picks, one this year and one next year, according to Fox Sports.
The move reunites Marshall with quarterback Jay Cutler. The two had excellent chemistry in Denver where they played together in 2007 and 2008. In two years, Marshall caught 206 passes for 2,590 yards from Cutler, with 13 TDs.
If they can rekindle that chemistry in Chicago, it provides a huge boost to a Bears offense that was 26th in the league in passing last season, but 9th in rushing.
It also forces defenses to respect the deep ball and takes a little pressure off of running back Matt Forte, who has been carrying a disproportionate amount of the offense in Chicago. Forte led the team in rushing with 997 yards and was third in receiving with 490 yards, despite missing a quarter of the season with a knee injury.
With Forte back and healthy, Cutler recovered from his broken thumb and reunited with Marshall, the Bears offense could be a force to be reckoned with as they look to stay competitive with the Packers and Lions in the NFC North.
It’s an odd trade for the Dolphins, who gave up two second round draft picks to get Marshall just two years ago. Marshall led the team in receiving last season with over 1,200 yards and 6 TDs, and the Miami offense just seemed to find its stride in the second half of the season.
The Dolphins, who have been quarterback shopping, pursuing Peyton Manning and flirting with Matt Flynn, now need to find a new number one receiver as well. Perhaps they are hoping to free up enough cap space to sign both Manning and Reggie Wayne, but they seem to be trailing in the Manning Derby to Denver and Arizona.
Great move for the Bears, and curious move for the Dolphins.
