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Ginn Dealt to 49ers

Two days after the trade for WR Brandon Marshall, the Miami Dolphins are back at it again.  The Dolphins have trade the now expendable Ted Ginn to the San Francisco 49ers for a 5th-round draft pick.  The Dolphins, who have been openly disappointed with the receiver, regain a later round pick after they traded away their original one to Kansas City for QB Tyler Thigpen.  Ginn, who has not lived up to his first round draft status, has the opportunity to get a fresh start in San Fran, where they have a fairly young offense as well.  

Obviously, it was not a bad trade for either side... If Ginn can regain his 2008 form, in which he caught 56 passes and 2 touchdowns, he could possibly be a valuable addition opposite Michael Crabtree.  His main problem that he will have to focus on, is his trouble holding onto the football.  This is such a drive killer and self esteem killer, and if he can move past this problem, he still has a chance to become a serviceable slot receiver.  

Dolphins Looking to Trade Ted Ginn

Due to the lack of productivity as a serviceable WR, the Miami Dolphins are rumored to be shopping former first-round draft pick, Ted Ginn per NFL.Com.  Ginn, who is an extremely valuable asset as a special teams player, has only caught five touchdowns as a receiver in three years.  The Dolphins could look to package Ginn with picks for someone like Denver Broncos' WR Brandon Marshall now that he has signed his tender, or could move up from the 12th pick in this years NFL Draft to pick up a player high on their draft board. 

Dez Bryant could be an option here, but I don't think that they would have to move up in order to draft him.  A lot of rumors have been swirling around Clemson RB C.J. Spiller, and that would be a nice addition to their team, especially with the type of trouble that RB Ronnie Brown is in right now.  Ginn has shown his abilities in the special teams game, but I have never seen his as a good WR overall.  He lacks size, and at times, has shown that he can't hold onto the ball.  IF they net a decent return, it will be worth it, because I don't see Ginn as a long time contributor.

Marshall Visiting the Seahawks

Restricted free agent Brandon Marshall is reportedly visiting Seattle today, according to NFL sources.  The Denver Broncos star player has had his share of fallouts with Broncos' brass, and would certainly want a fresh start.  As an RFA, Marshall was issued a first-round tender, meaning that if the Seahawks did want him to sign an offer sheet, Denver would have seven days to match that offer or gain compensation from Seattle.  Marshall has been one of the most productive wide receivers over the past few years, but has held out at training camp and issued trade requests.  

Dolphins Interested in Boldin

According to the Miami Herald, the Miami Dolphins are in the market for a WR.  Sources there are saying that it would be unlikely that they would pursue a trade with the Denver Broncos for restricted free agent, Brandon Marshall,  but that they would be interested in trading later draft picks for Arizona Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin.  Since Marshall is a restricted free agent, and would most likely be receive a large qualifying offer, it would cost the Dolphins at least a 1st round draft pick and a 3rd rounder.  This would be too much for the Dolphins to give out, and it is believed that the Dolphins may offer a 3rd rounder for Boldin.  Although, he didn't request a trade as he did last off-season, the chances of him getting traded are more likely greater now that younger WRs have stepped up and shown that they can play in that offense.     

Boldin is a great wide receiver, but I don't really see him on this team much longer.  I think that the Cardinals have more glaring needs than WR, and would love to have more draft picks in order to rebuild their defense.  Offense has never been an issue in Arizona, but in order to win games, they are going to need help on the defensive side of the ball.  Steve Breaston and Early Doucet showed that they have ability to make plays, especially in the postseason this year.  It's time for Boldin to move on and make the money he thinks he deserves.  I also think that Boldin would definitely excel in the Dolphins offense and just presents an even greater threat in the Wildcat offense.  His ability to run and pass creates another option out of that offense and if he is traded there, he has the ability to get this team into the playoffs.

Bowlen Would Like for Marshall To Remain with Broncos

In an interview with the Denver Post,  Denver Broncos' team owner, Pat Bowlen, talked about his two-time Pro Bowl WR Brandon Marshall, and whether or not he remains in the team's plans.  Marshall, who is a restricted free agent, has often been a cause for concern during his time in Denver.  Marshall's latest problem led to rookie Head Coach Josh McDaniels' benching of their star player during the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.  There have been rumors that the Broncos would look to trade Marshall during this offseason, but Bowlen admits that he does wish to have him back, although he would not be opposed to a trade if it benefited the team.  He also revealed that the team would look to the draft to get deeper at the quarterback position, and that QB Kyle Orton would still go into next season as their starting QB regardless of this.     

 Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America

Marshall is a great player, but has consistently been a cancer with the Broncos.  The best option for both parties would be to trade him, but only if Denver can get close to what he is worth.  As we saw last offseason, it isn't easy to trade away troubled receivers as Anquan Boldin remained with the Arizona Cardinals after he expressed his bitterness about his contract.  The Cleveland Browns made an attempt to trade their troubled WR Braylon Edwards during the offseason as well, but was unable to trade him until midseason.  Since Marshall would most likely receive a top level qualifying offer, the compensation would be a 1st and 3rd rounder which may be tough for a team to swallow.  With that said, I really see Marshall staying with the team for at least another year.  

Frustrated Roger Goodell Expects Uncapped Season

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that unless an agreement is reached between the Players' Association, that there will be an uncapped season in 2010, unfortunately.  Although it sounds good for players, this is a huge blow for a league that has kept good standing with their players.  This season will be hard for players that have been in the league for less than six years and were planning on cashing in on a huge payday.  According to the rules of an uncapped season, players that have less than six years experience in the league will be considered restricted free agents.  This is amendment to the rule of four years experience and will cause certain players to remain with their teams for better or worse.  Players such as Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall, who is at odds with his team, are less likely to be given huge contracts because of the restricted label.  Because of this restricted label, teams wanting to sign the players are forced to give some sort of compensation for the team's loss and this will very well be the sticking point for any contract that is offered to free agents.  This uncapped year is not only going to hurt restricted free agents, but also some of the big name unrestricted free agents, such as Pro Bowl DE Julius Peppers.    Peppers has been at odds with the Carolina Panthers and it is believed that they will allow him to walk without placing the franchise tag on him.  The problem is, that with an uncapped season, the Final Eight Plan comes into affect.  The Final Eight Plan stipulates that the eight clubs that make the Divisional Playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign unrestricted free agents from other clubs  The catch is, that these teams can not sign unrestricted free agents until an unrestricted free agent is signed away from their team and in the case of all final eight teams, the first year salary of any unrestricted free agent signed to replace those lost can't exceed the first year salary of the player lost.  This is something that few are really grasping because everyone believes that it is going to be a "free-for-all" and all these teams will get better when that just simply is not the case.  The best thing for the league is a Collective Bargaining Agreement. There is nothing good that will come from an uncapped year next year and the likelihood of a lockout the year after.