Heat Free Agency Plans: Does Another PF Make Cents?

I admit that I am on record saying that I have very little confidence in Riley heading into this offseason. Last time he had this kind of money to spend, he handed Brian Grant and Eddie Jones max deals. This year, I am afraid that he is going to jettison Beasley and/or Haslem in order to add one of several big name free agent PFs on the market.

Haslem and Beasley, who collectively made $11 mill last season, combined to average 25 points and 16 rebounds at the PF spot last season. I would be hard pressed to find any free agent PFs who could put up those kind of numbers.

What the Heat really needs is a PG who is better than Chalmers or Arroyo, a C who can get them at least 10 points and 10 rebounds and a SF who can drop 20 points with some regularity.

Unfortunately for the Heat, assuming LeBron is not really interested in Miami, the biggest name free agents available are Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, and Carlos Boozer. I mention these three in particular because Riley has made it known that he wants to sign a big man.

Stoudemire is 6'9", has a long injury history, has never played defense or rebounded well, and has only averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds in Phoenix's high octane offense with Steve Nash throwing him alley oops. Chris Bosh is a frail 6'10", cannot play center, and is more of a stretch four who can shoot it out to the three point line. Carlos Boozer is 6'8", injured almost every season, and is basically the player many once thought Michael Beasley was, and still may be, capable of becoming.

All three of these guys are looking for max deals. It would be a huge mistake to get rid of Beasley and possibly Haslem, and their combined 25/16 at $11 mill, collectively, in order to pay a guy like Amare Stoudemire $15-$17 mill per year to get you 20/8 at the PF spot. I fear that this is one of Riley's grand plans for free agency, but this would not help the Heat considerably.

What the Heat needs to do with their $23-26 mill in projected cap space is the following:

(1) First, sign versatile Joe Johnson who can play PG (he averages 5 assists a game) or SF in a pinch. Joe Johnson, who can probably be signed for $10-12 mill per year, can split his time between PG and SF, something he has already done in his career.

(2) Second, the Heat needs to bring back Dorell Wright for $3-5 mill a season to play significant minutes at SF. With Joe Johnson splitting time between PG and SF, Dorell can get 20-25 minutes a night at SG & SF as a sixth man off the bench kind of like Matt Barnes in Orlando.

(3) Third, with approximately $10 million of remaining cap space, the Heat should make Luke Ridnour, a free agent from the Bucks who averaged about 11 points and 4 assists as a back up last season, their new PG for around $4 mill per year.

(4) Fourth, with the remaining $6 million or so in cap space, the Heat should either bring back Haslem or sign a solid veteran center like Brendan Haywood, who averages 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

(5) Fifth, if I am not mistaken, the Heat should have a mid level exception of about $5.5 million to use. Thus, if they use their remaining cap space above to sign someone like Haywood, then they could use their mid level to bring back Haslem. I suspect that he can be had for 4 year deal worth around $24 million, which would work under the mid level exception.

(6) Sixth, draft a versatile big man, unless the team misses out on a PG like Luke Ridnour in free agency. There is a good possibility that Daniel Orton, a PF/C from Kentucky, Larry Sanders, a PF/C from VCU, or Kevin Seraphin, a stud PF/C from France, will be available when the Heat selects in the first round.

If the Heat fails to land a PG in free agency, however, then I think they take a long look at Dominique Jones of South Florida, a combo guard who is a slightly less athletic version of D Wade, or Eric Bledsoe, a scoring PG from Kentucky, both of whom could be on the board.

(7) Finally, complete the roster with some solid second round picks like Dwayne Collins of Miami or Trevor Booker of Clemson, and some veteran minimum contracts.

I think if Riley did something like this, then we could build a championship team in South Florida. Unfortunately, my plan only entails bringing in one big name free agent, Joe Johnson, when Riley wants two big names.

Riley wants two big names even if it makes no sense given the availability of Beasley and Haslem as a cheaper, more effective alternative at PF, and he is willing to get rid of one or both of those guys in order to create cap space to do so.

My plan:

PG: Luke Ridnour & Joe Johnson with Chalmers or Arroyo as a back up

SG: Dwyane Wade, backed up by Joe Johnson and Dorell Wright

SF: Joe Johnson, backed up by Dorell Wright

PF: Beasley and Haslem backed up by Dwayne Collins

C: Brendan Haywood backed up by Joel Anthony and either Daniel Orton, Kevin Seraphin, or Larry Sanders

I think this team could emerge as a title contender. Wade would be the superstar, Johnson would be the Scottie Pippen- a versatile and equally important ego-less superstar who deferred to Wade, Ridnour would be the best PG that team has had in 5 years, Haywood would be a Udonis Haslem like presence at Center who rebounds and plays defense, and Beasley and Haslem could continue to combine for 25 or more points and 15 or more rebounds per night (exceeding the production of an Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer).

Riley's probable plan:

Surround Dwyane Wade with two superstars, if possible, and a bunch of minimum contract players.

The Celtics have four stars: Rondo, Garnett, Allen, and Pierce, a solid starting Center in Perkins, and a good sixth man in Wallace, and they are being exposed by the Lakers. If the Celtics cannot win with four great players and two good players, then how can the Heat win with three great players and a bunch of minimum contract guys?

Classless Is As Classless Does

The Miami Dolphins has issues, I mean real issues, and almost none of them are on the football field.

First, the Dolphins completely fumbled the handling of Jason Taylor's offseason request for a contract extension. After failing to return phone calls from Taylor and his agent, the Dolphins pushed him off the team and into the open arms of one their division rivals.

Then, the Dolphins refused to let Taylor hold a press conference at the team headquarters to thank Miami fans for their decade of loyalty and support.

Shortly thereafter, former Dolphins great and future hall of famer, Zach Thomas came forward with more terrible stories of classless acts by the Dolphins' front office.

Sure one could argue that Taylor did not deserve to hold a press conference in Miami after signing with the Jets.

It turns out, however, fan favorite Zach Thomas was also denied such an opportunity by the Dolphins brass after the team decided to terminate his contract in 2008. Ireland and Parcells made this callous decision even after Thomas had spent 12 years as the heart and soul of the Dolphins' defense.

Such a lapse in judgment is appalling given what Zach Thomas has done for football fans in South Florida.

Worse yet, just days ago, multiple media outlets reported that Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland asked draft prospect Dez Bryant, on a team visit, whether his mom was a whore.

This question sparked outrage from football fans and non-football fans alike and raised serious questions as to the liberties NFL personnel executives can take while conducting "due diligence" regarding potential draft picks.

This brazen lack of decency and the subsequent media coverage it provoked led to public reprimands from both NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

One would think that Jeff Ireland and the rest of the team's front office would learn from these missteps and act with more compassion in the future.

Turns out, this simply was not the case. Just yesterday, the team announced that it was assigning its 4th round draft pick, linebacker AJ Edds from Iowa, Zach Thomas' old jersey number.

This is shameful. For Dolphins fans under the age of 40, Zach Thomas is arguably the greatest player outside of Dan Marino to have ever donned aqua and orange on game day.

When Zach Thomas retired, I had little doubt that his number, 54, would be retired in the ring of honor alongside Dan Marino's number 13 and Larry Csonka's number 39.

I now have little doubt that the Dolphins' brass decided to issue Thomas' number to AJ Edds in response to Thomas' criticism of the way Parcells and Ireland handled his and Jason Taylor's departure.

This dishonorable measure of revenge is one more stain on the already tarnished reputation of the Dolphins' front office.

As a diehard fan, I desperately want to see the Dolphins improve and generally have supported Ireland and Parcells in their efforts to restore a winning tradition to a once proud franchise.

These recents moves, however, have led me to remember a critical life lesson that I learned as an 8 year old on the practice fields: winning is only honorable when it is done with class.

Heat Trio Needs Room To Grow

Just one year ago, all Heat fans heard about was the rigorous summer program planned for Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, and Mario Chalmers.

Riley, the ultimate salesman, sold the promise of the Heat's youth movement. As a result of his efforts, one was almost willing to forget that the Heat made zero moves last summer while teams such as the Cavs (Shaq), the Magic (Vince Carter), the Celtics (Rasheed Wallace), and the Hawks (Jamal Crawford) all significantly strengthened their rosters.

Riley's sales pitch was seductive after Mario Chalmers' exciting rookie season, Daequan Cook's drastic second year improvement, and Michael Beasley's late season stretch of consecutive 20-10 games.

Unfortunately, this season proved what I have been saying for years: Pat Riley's teams do not allow young players enough room to grow.

Everyone will point to Dwyane Wade as a success story, but this is not fair. Despite the fact that many underestimated his pro potential, Wade came into the league NBA ready and only was given a shot to play because the Heat did not have a proven veteran at point guard that season.

More accurately, one has to look no further than Caron Butler (lost his confidence in his sophomore season and regressed), Wayne Simien (never saw any action and is out of the league), Dorell Wright (has taken years to develop and still plays scared at times), and now the three amigos (Cook, Chalmers, and Beasley) who all have failed to develop their games.

There is no room for debate. The three players on which the Heat's season hinged were all huge disappointments.

It is hard to say which of these three players was the most disappointing, but all three left the Heat with more questions than answers going into this critical offseason.

For the past few days, I have seen countless articles bashing these players for failing to rise to the occasion in the playoffs or failing to contribute more to the team this season. I think the Heat's front office and coaching staff must look inward before assigning blame to any of these players.

Riley's famous impatience and distrust of rookies, a mindset demonstrated by Riley's latest disciple Erik Spoelstra, really serves to hinder the development of raw talent.

Beasley, Chalmers, and Cook all played as though they were in fear of getting yanked at any moment for making a mistake and often looked stiff and unnatural with the ball in their hands as a consequence. Does this sound at all like Dorell Wright's first three years in the league to anyone?

Sure enough, all of these players were routinely yanked from games for extended periods of time after making mistakes that most teams would expect from young, developing players.

Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley's close friend and arguably the best NBA player under the age of 25, opened his NBA career with a 7-22 shooting performance while playing a leading role on an inaugural Thunder team.

I watched Kevin Durant's rookie season closely, and recall him having a string of nights where he hoisted 22 or more shots and made fewer than 8 of them. At the time, I really suspected that he might have been grossly overrated coming out of Texas.

The Thunder continued to give Durant free reign and starter's minutes and by his second season he had rewarded his team by averaging over 25 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on almost 48% shooting, including over 42% from behind the arc.

He followed this performance by averaging over 30 points and 7.6 rebound per game in his third season, while leading the team to its first ever playoff appearance.

Durant's team also patiently developed raw but talented players like Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, James Harden and Jeff Green.

The Heat, on the other hand, keeps its young players on a short leash, breaks them down mentally and physically until they have lost all confidence in their games, and signs aging veterans with whom to replace them every time they make a mistake.

Football guru Bill Parcells refers to aging veterans who play the same position as raw, young players as "progress stoppers." This term applies equally well in the world of basketball.

Until the Heat understands and embraces such a philosophy, it will never be a good place for young, raw talent to develop.

While some may blame Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, or Mario Chalmers, I think their shortcomings are as much the result of a failed ideology as they are a lack of character or determination.

Dolphins' Draft Choices Safe Not Sexy

The NFL Draft has not proven overly fruitful during the Parcells era. On the one hand, people can point to Jake Long and Vontae Davis as successful picks.

However, lets be real here. Jake Long was the #1 pick in the entire draft and Vontae Davis was the #1 rated corner in his draft class. These guys were expected to be good.

On the other hand, the Dolphins selected Pat White and Phillip Merling in the first 40 picks of their respective drafts and neither one of them looks like they have any future with the team.

More importantly, great teams consistently find gems in the middle and later rounds of the draft, and the Dolphins have demonstrated a tendency to swing and miss in these rounds.

In the past two years, the Phins have traded up to select OG Shawn Murphy (waived one year later) in the fourth round, taken little known TE John Nalbone (on the chopping block) in the fifth round, and selected WR Patrick Turner (who was inactive his entire rookie year) in the third round over potential stud WRs like Mike Wallace (Steelers, round 3), Louis Murphy (Raiders, round 4), and Austin Collie (Colts, round 4).

In sum, I am still waiting to be convinced that Parcells and GM Jeff Ireland are especially skilled at uncovering talent like former Phins coach Jimmy Johnson.

The Phins did nothing spectacular in this year's draft and failed to fill critical voids at FS, OLB, and NT. I know Ireland said that the team plans to move Randy Starks to NT. The fact that Starks was only asked to move after the team failed to nab at NT like Dan Williams in round one, however, is an indication that this was plan B and not plan A.

I also know that they drafted DE Koa Misi from Utah to play OLB in the second round. I have little doubt that Misi will make this transition nicely, but Misi never produced double digit sacks in the Mountain West Conference. What are the odds that he will produce enough sacks in the NFL to make Phin fans forget about Jason Taylor?

Despite the Phins critical need at FS, they failed to land Morgan Burnett, their target, in the third round when he was selected by the Packers just two spots before the Phins' pick.

The Phins did trade two picks to move up and draft safety Reshad Jones from Georgia in the fifth round, although he is probably better suited to replace Yeremiah Bell at SS in one or two seasons than he is to start as a FS in his rookie year. This is also a curious move given that the Phins could have coughed up these two picks to move up two spots in round three and secure the rights to FS Morgan Burnett.

I do think that Jared Odrick (pictured above) was a solid value pick at the bottom of round one. I have few doubts that he will be an upgrade over Phillip Merling at DE in a 3-4 front, and also a future leader of the Dolphins' defense.

I also thought AJ Edds, a LB from Iowa, was one of the more underrated backers in this draft. While I applaud the Phins decision to select him in the fourth round, I am puzzled why the team drafted two ILBs, Edds and Spitler, and traded for another, Tim Dobbins, when they already had Dansby, Crowder, and Torbor on their roster. One has to think Crowder or Torbor will be playing elsewhere next season.

I would have preferred to see them take Ricky Sapp, a highly athletic OLB prospect from Clemson, who slid all the way to the Eagles in the fifth round. Sapp was expected by many to be taken in the first three rounds and would have helped provide more depth at OLB, a position that is much more in need of talent than ILB.

The Dolphins also selected Nolan Carroll, an injured CB from Maryland, in the fifth round ahead of a NT, Cam Thomas, who many believed was worthy of a third or fourth round grade.

The Phins had a chance to scout Cam Thomas at the Senior Bowl so it is hard to argue with their decision not to draft him; however, from the outside looking in it seemed like an odd decision given that Thomas could have challenged Paul Soliai to become a better player and allowed Starks to remain at DE, where he was an absolute beast last year.

The Chargers, a 3-4 team, pounced on Cam Thomas with the very next pick, which only made me more convinced that the Dolphins made a mistake.

Even with my criticisms, I think this was by far the Dolphins' best draft under Parcells. I would not be surprised to see every single player drafted make the team. There were no "what the hell were they thinking?" moments in this draft.

Each player chosen except one was a captain of their respective college team, comes with very little risk, and represents excellent value for where he was chosen in the draft.

While I would have preferred if the team had added another OLB or FS in the first few rounds, I am convinced that the team took no major risks and made no major mistakes in this draft. In short, this draft was solid not sexy.

With Brandon Marshall on offense and thirteen (that's right, 13!) linebackers to choose from on defense, there is no question the Phins should be significantly improved next season. The only question is how much the Patriots and the Jets will also improve.

Last Minute Thoughts On The Draft

With the NFL Draft just hours away, here are a few of my last minute thoughts:

(1) Ben Roethlisberger should be traded to the Browns or the Raiders. Pittsburgh is one of the oldest and best run franchises in the NFL. I really applaud the Rooney family for recognizing that a problem-making turd like Santonio Holmes had no business donning a Steelers uniform. I also believe that they now recognize that Ben Roethlisberger is equally damaging to the Steelers brand.

A trade to the Raiders or Browns would make a ton of sense for Pittsburgh. If they acquired either team's pick during the draft, they could likely use that pick to draft Roethlisberger's replacement in Jimmy Clausen and then use their 18th pick in the draft to acquire a lineman, like Mike Iupati, to protect Clausen or a wide receiver, like Golden Tate (Clausen's college teammate), to replace Santonio Holmes.

This trade would make sense for Cleveland. Big Ben played his college ball at Miami of Ohio and is a local legend of sorts. They are desperate for help at he QB position. As a matter of fact, they are so desperate that they signed the one of the five worst starting QBs in the league last year, Jake Delhomme, to upgrade their QB position this offseason- enough said.

This trade would also make a ton of sense for the Raiders. The NFL is concerned about Big Ben tarnishing the league's reputation. There is a no way a guy in a Raiders uniform can do anything to harm the league's image. The Raiders are a running punch line as it is, and nobody expects anything from a player once they suit up for the Raiders (see Randy Moss circa 2006).

Not to mention, the Raiders' QB situation is arguably even worse than the Browns'. As bad as Jake Delhomme may be at this point in his career, he is no JaMarcus Russell. I hate to say it, but I actually believe Big Ben would improve the Raiders dramatically.

(2) The Dolphins will desperately attempt to trade down. Over a month ago, I first previewed the Dolphins' draft needs. Although they have since acquired a prime time WR, they still have more holes to plug than Jenna Jameson in her big screen debut. They are extremely thin at FS, OLB, & NT. Usually teams can only expect to find starters at such premium positions in the first three rounds. Knowing that 50% of players chosen in these rounds will fail to live up to expectations, the Dolphins are in trouble when one considers that they only have two picks in the first three rounds.

Given this dilemma, they desperately need to trade back in the opening round. Hopefully, they can partner with a team like Philadelphia that has two second round picks and has shown the bravado to make such moves in the past. If they are able to trade back in round one, then they will have plenty of solid options at OLB in Brandon Graham, Jerry Hughes, and Sergio Kindle. With their next two picks they would have plenty of options at NT and FS.

(3) Ronnie Brown and/or Justin Smiley will be shopped heavily. It is not that the Dolphins do not like both of these players, it is just that they play positions with adequate depth and have demonstrated a fragility for which Parcells does not approve. Ronnie, coming off an injury and DUI, is probably worth no more than a second round pick, and Justin, coming off his second injury in two years, is probably not worth more than a late fourth or fifth round pick. Both of these players when healthy, however, have pro bowl potential. While I would be shocked to see both of them traded on draft day, I would not be the least bit surprised to see one of them traded. I imagine a team like Seattle or Philly could use a stud RB like Ronnie Brown and just might be willing to cough up a second round pick to get him. Also, teams like San Francisco or Pittsburgh that miss out on Mike Iupati in round one may be tempted to trade for a veteran lineman like Smiley later in the draft.

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right

I decided to wait a few days to fully digest the impact of Jason Taylor's defection. In the first 24 to 48 hours, if you had asked me for my impression, then I would have told you that JT deserves to go down in history alongside Benedict Arnold and Johnny Walker Lindh as one of America's most infamous traitors.

As the facts slowly begin to leak out, it is clear that the Dolphins were just as blameworthy in this mess as Jason Taylor. Few would dispute that Jason Taylor is one of greatest players to ever suit up for the Phins and one of the top defensive players in the history of the NFL.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where Peyton Manning, Ray Lewis, or Troy Polamalu are summarily traded, cut, or even denied a final one year deal with their respective teams. Many Phins fans would put Jason Taylor in that same untouchable, heart of the team, hero of the city category.

To Parcells and his cronies that simply is not the case. It all started during Parcells first year running the team when JT famously decided to skip Parcells' voluntary (if you hope to stay on the team) conditioning program to promote his celebrity on "Dancing With The Stars." Parcells in turn purportedly snubbed JT, refusing to shake his hand when they first crossed paths in the Dolphins' practice facility.

All of this drama culminated in a fateful decision to trade JT to the Skins for a second round pick. After the Skins realized that a 33 year old JT does not equal a 30 year old JT, they summarily jettisoned him after just one season.

The Phins, for their part, gave JT a second chance, and probably what they suspected was a final one year $1.1 million contract to come back to Miami at age 34.

Even with a return to familiar surroundings and a more rush friendly 3-4 defense, Taylor managed just 7 sacks and 42 tackles last season. As much as he has meant to the Phins, there was no doubt in my mind that he had little gas left in his tank and would probably retire at seasons' end or sign a final one year deal to return as a mere rotational player.

The real shocker came when JT decided to continue playing and the Phins, despite having no veteran OLBs on their roster, refused to give him a one year deal even for his bargain basement $1.1 million 2009 salary.

Hell, the Phins even brought back oft-injured QB Chad Pennington, who is equally long in the tooth, on a virtually identical deal. Moreover, they renewed the contract of Jason Ferguson who is the same exact age as JT, plays a position with the same lack of depth, is coming off a major knee injury, and is facing an 8 game suspension upon his return. What gives?

I know. I get the distinction. Chad Pennington and Jason Ferfuson have been with Parcells and Co. longer than Jason Taylor. What this means, however, is that Parcells and Co. view themselves as an organization whose loyalties have nothing to do with the history of the franchise that they happen to be running.

If anyone deserved a one year deal to return and play out his final year in a Phins uniform, it was JT not Chad Pennington or Jason Ferguson.

Despite Parcells' failure to show JT any respect, however, this in no way excused JT from signing with the JETS! If JT had beef with Parcells, then he should have kept that between the two of them instead of turning his back on a fan base that has been nothing but loyal to him for more than a decade.

There are 31 other teams in the National Football League (30 if you exclude the Patriots), where Phins fans would have preferred to see JT sign. Even if he joined the San Diego Chargers, another AFC team, it would have been ten times better than signing with the JETS.

Now Phins fans will have to watch JT lining up opposite Jake Long and Chad Henne at least two times next season. I cannot imagine the emotions that Phins fans will experience the first time they witness JT coming home to Miami in a JETS uniform.

While it is clear that Parcells showed no respect to JT this offseason, I sincerely believe JT deserves no respect from Phins fans when he suits up as a member of the JETS. After all, haven't we heard all our lives that two wrongs don't make a right?

Winning Is Priceless, Brandon Marshall Is Not

This past week, the Dolphin's took by far their biggest gamble of the Parcells Era by trading two second round picks to the Broncos for pro bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Honestly, I had to read about four different press releases from credible news sources before I believed my eyes. This moves runs counter to everything for which Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano stand.

They do NOT like "diva" (big ego) receivers, they do NOT think that receivers should be among the highest paid players on a team, they do NOT believe in trading away high draft picks, they do NOT believe in spending tens of millions of dollars in the offseason to improve a team, and they do NOT believe in bringing players into their locker room who have a reputation for putting themselves ahead of the team (see Terrell Owens).

Some might see the Dolphins' latest moves, making Dansby and Marshall the two highest paid NFL players at their respective positions, as acts of desperation, and they are right. Let's face it, the Phins regressed a little last season and were, as of two months ago, nowhere close to catching up with the Patriots and quickly falling behind the Jets.

After watching their brash talking arch rivals in New York go on an acquisition spree (Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, LaDainian Tomlinson, and possibly Jason Taylor), the Phins had to do something to stay relevant.

Trading for Brandon Marshall was just what the doctor ordered. I wrote, just a few weeks ago, that the Phins would be foolish to give Michael Crabtree money (nearly $20 million guaranteed) to a first round pick with a 50-50 bust rate when they could get a proven force like Brandon Marshall for $24 million in guaranteed money.

Consequently, I can do nothing but praise the Phins for this latest move. It makes sense on so many levels. It is no secret that the Dolphins are perhaps only behind the Raiders and the Lions when it comes to swinging and missing in the NFL draft.

Jamar Fletcher, Eddie Moore, Matt Roth, Jason Allen, Ted Ginn, John Beck, Phillip Merling, Pat White, and Patrick Turner are all among the dozens of disappointments the Dolphins have selected at the top of the draft. Notice these picks even include a few questionable selections by Parcells and Co.

When one considers this history of draft misfortune, it is hard to argue that the Dolphins were foolish for coughing up two second round picks to land one of the top five receivers in the NFL and fill arguably the teams biggest void.

Speaking of draft misfortunes, the Phins managed to dupe the 49ers into trading a 5th round pick in this year's draft for Ted Ginn, Jr. It is amusing to read the quotes from 49ers brass touting Ted Ginn as "loaded with potential" and "possessing the speed needed to open up a vertical offense." No matter how evolved the human race becomes, there are always some among us who are destined to repeat others' mistakes.

While many local sports writers described the Phins' divestiture of Ginn a as a direct consequence of the Marshall acquisition, I think just the opposite is true. The Phins made a bold move to acquire Brandon Marshall because they feared that Dez Bryant could be the next Ted Ginn.

In other words, for those Phins fans who are wondering what the Dolphins have to show for the three years and millions of dollars invested in Ted Ginn, the answer is the willingness of the Dolphins front office to finally pay whatever it takes to acquire a proven talent like Brandon Marshall.