After weeks of waiting and wondering among all parties involved, the Dolphins finally landed their man. June 6, quarterback Trent Green was officially acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a conditional 2008 fifth-round pick. The pick will become a fourth-rounder based upon Green's playing time in 2007.

A Long Time Coming

The Dolphins first became interested in acquiring the soon-to-be 37-year-old Green in February. It appeared Green may be the odd man out in K.C., with Damon Huard signing a new three-year deal and second-year man Brodie Croyle waiting in the wings. The Chiefs gave Green permission to seek a trade, and early on it became clear that, while a handful of teams were inquiring about his services, there was significant mutual interest between Green and the Dolphins.

With a $7.2 million salary in 2007, any team interested in acquiring Green would insist upon reducing that number. Green had the leverage in that regard and struck a deal with the Dolphins. It then became up to the front offices of the Chiefs and Dolphins to work out the compensation for Green. It began a game of chicken that would last well past the NFL Draft.

The Dolphins offered a sixth-round pick, while the Chiefs wanted a fourth-rounder. Neither side appeared willing to budge, although it appeared the Dolphins had the leverage as Green refused to negotiate with other teams, and it seemed unlikely the Chiefs would keep Green as a backup under his current contract. In May, Green attempted to facilitate things by attending offseason workouts. An injury to Green would have guaranteed his entire 2007 salary.

Despite the apparent leverage in Miami's corner, in addition to a few hits to the Chiefs' public image with players like Larry Johnson and Brian Waters complaining about the treatment of Green, it was the Dolphins that blinked first. The Dolphins changed their offer to a conditional sixth, and eventually upgraded it to a conditional fifth.

The acquisition of Green spells the end of the Daunte Culpepper era in Miami. While Miami has once again traded for a projected starting quarterback, this occasion differs from the Culpepper trade and the A.J. Feeley one before that. Green is not viewed as a savior of the franchise or the quarterback of the future. The latter was chosen this in the second round of April's draft, in Brigham Young University's John Beck. Green is merely a placeholder until Beck is ready, and it is a job Green should fill admirably.

An Ideal Placeholder

Green probably isn't going to win any awards as quarterback for the Dolphins. He likely won't be selected to his third Pro Bowl. He probably won't top 4,000 yards passing as he did three seasons in Kansas City. He may not even make the playoffs on this team that is still rebuilding, now under a new head coach with a different vision. However, he will still man the job.

Beck is the quarterback of the future, and he will be groomed as such. Until then, Green provides an experienced veteran to lead the team until Beck is ready. Unlike pretty much every Dolphins quarterback since Marino called it quits (as a player, not as a front office face that one time), Green is smart with the football and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. On a team that has consistently had one of the league's best defenses in recent years, it should be a welcome addition.

The transition to a new team and offense should also be much easier for Green than under traditional circumstances. Dolphins quarterbacks coach Terry Shea held the same position in Kansas City from 2001-03, as well as the past two seasons. More importantly, Green has worked with head coach Cam Cameron before, when the latter was quarterbacks coach from 1994-96. He is largely familiar with Cameron's offense, and Green even estimated it was 85 percent the same as when he was in it last.

The potential drawbacks are obvious ones. At 37, Green's best years are obviously behind him. He also suffered a nasty concussion in the season opener last season, and there could be concerns he may never regain his form given what he did upon his return (seven touchdowns, nine interceptions, 74.1 passer rating). Green also won't be playing behind an offensive line anywhere near the one he had during his best years in Kansas City. He will have some potential weapons on offense in running back Ronnie Brown and wide receiver Chris Chambers, but most of Miami's skill players haven't had the chance to be as good as they can be. This has largely been due poor play from the line and the quarterback spot.

Fortunately, the Dolphins are not asking for much. They aren't looking for Manning-type production. (Peyton, not Eli. Eli's might not be a stretch.) They aren't asking for Pro Bowls, and they likely aren't expecting to be hoisting any trophies come February. In Green, all the Dolphins want is an experienced veteran that can manage the offense and limit mistakes until Beck is ready to take over in 2008 or 2009. Green is more than capable of filling the role, and even at 37 may be better at it than his recent predecessors.

Fantasy Impact

Miami likely isn't looking for Green to save the franchise or lead them to glory, and you should approach him the same way when it comes to fantasy football. Green is a smart player that won't make too many mistakes, but he also isn't going to light it up and torch defenses. Green is a weaker No. 1 quarterback heading into 2007. He is an ideal fantasy backup, a strong fill-in option, but do not make him the player you depend on week in and week out.