Dolphins acquire Green in trade… finally

It may have taken three months of negotiations, but quarterback Trent Green has officially been traded to the Miami Dolphins and will join the team pending the results of a routine physical. A team starving for offense, the Dolphins are welcoming Green with open arms. And Green probably couldn’t be happier, either.

Frustrated with the Chiefs and head coach Herm Edwards’ plan to make the team younger, Green realized that he was the odd man out. After asking the team if he could test the trade waters, the veteran quarterback got the bite he was looking for: a team that would welcome him into the offense and essentially give him the starting spot.

The conditions of the deal, a conditional fifth round draft choice next season — could be a fourth round choice, depending on Green’s performance in 2007 — in exchange for one of the league’s most consistent starting quarterbacks.

While he does carry some risk for injury, a concussion last season, the Dolphins are willing to take their chances and hope that Green can bring some spark to the offense. Hey, they haven’t had a solid quarterback since Dan Marino left town following the 1999 season. Green fits that bill for at least 2007 and possibly longer.

But what happens to Daunte Culpepper now?

Actually, a better question would be, where does he go? There is no doubt the team will either trade him or release him. Obviously, a trade would be preferred, but teams looking for a quarterback at this point in the offseason are few.

The two most logical choices? Jacksonville and Atlanta. Both have uncertainties at quarterback, and the latter will be anxiously anticipating Michael Vick’s inevitable suspension that could sideline the scrambler for 4 or more games. And with few suitors and Culpepper’s value at an all-time low, interested teams will not need to offer anything outrageous.