I must admit, I rarely watch the Pro Bowl. Football is just not a sport that lends itself to fun all-star games, like say, basketball does. But I flipped over to NBC Sunday night, and was immediately taken aback as I saw Brandon Marshall of my beloved Miami Dolphins making a spectacular circus catch in the end zone.
Brandon Marshall? Wasn't he just another Fins' savior that has been muddled in mediocrity ever since he hit South Beach? I've learned not to expect the worst with the Dolphins, but to expect the average, which is almost more painful.
But things finally seem to be headed in another direction, and Marshall is primed to return to the dominant form that we saw in Denver.
This conclusion is not drawn solely from his Pro Bowl performance. That would be foolish, since there is little to no contact or effort in that game. But it's impossible not to consider his potential if there is an above average quarterback throwing him passes.
The Dolphins have made it clear that their number one goal this off-season is to give him just that: an upgrade at the quarterback position. The two most likely candidates are Matt Flynn and Peyton Manning. I believe they should make Flynn their priority; he's much less risky for a lot of reasons. But that's another argument.
The hiring of Joe Philbin was a great move for Miami, and he will be a big part of Marshall's resurrection. Assuming they land one of the names mentioned above, the Dolphins should be running a high tempo, pass heavy offense.
Philbin has said that he won't just try to implement the strategy he ran in Green Bay in Miami, and that he will adopt to the talent the Dolphins have. This is very encouraging, especially given Marshall's unique skill set.
Marshall is a clear number one wide receiver, but not a true deep threat. If the Dolphins find a deep threat (they have not had one in a long time) in the draft or free agency, things will really open up. With defenses having to account for the deep ball along with Davone Bess in the slot, Marshall will find himself in single coverage frequently, a match up he will win most of the time.
Finally, Brandon Marshall is still in his prime. He's only 27. With all of his personal issues and lackluster performance in Miami thus far, his record setting days in Denver have become a distant memory.
But as he proved in Hawaii, there is still a lot left in that tank. If the Dolphins make the correct moves in this year's draft and off-season, expect a motivated Brandon Marshall to rejoin the ranks of elite receivers in the NFL.
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