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The first-round pick was obvious. Everyone knew the Miami Dolphins loved former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the No. 8 overall pick, which went according to form.

But after that, I was curious when Miami was going to take a wide receiver in the draft. It didn’t happen in the second round. It didn’t happen in the third, fourth or fifth rounds.

Miami finally drafted a pair of receivers in the sixth and seventh rounds. The Dolphins selected B.J. Cunningham of Michigan State and Rishard Matthews of Nevada.

"I think we drafted a couple good players that we think could ascend," Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said. "But we weren’t going to reach. That’s not my philosophy."

Does Miami have enough to be effective at wide receiver next season? Here is a look at the players currently on the roster.

According to rookie head coach Joe Philbin, the West Coast offense doesn’t need a star, No. 1 target. But projected starters Brian Hartline and Devone Bess and possibly Legadu Naanee could be put in roles bigger than what they are used to.

Miami traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears in the offseason. The Dolphins expect to throw the ball a lot with a new West Coast offense, probably more than last year, despite a group with a lot to prove.

"The more guys you can get into different spots to create mismatches for the defense, the better you’re going to be,” Philbin said. "I don’t think we lock in."

With the draft complete and free agency all but done, this is probably the receiver group Miami rolls with next season. Is this group good enough to produce in 2012?

Wide receiver is one of the biggest needs for the Miami Dolphins entering next week's draft. They addressed the need Tuesday by signing veteran receiver Legedu Naanee.

The former Carolina Panthers receiver caught 44 passes for 467 yards last season. Naanee will be added to a thin group of receivers that includes projected starters Brian Hartline and Davone Bess.

Dolphins rookie head coach Joe Philbin is installing a new West Coast offense in Miami that doesn't focus on any one receiver. The Dolphins traded talented Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, in part, because they didn't want one player dominating the football.

Naanee also spent four years with the San Diego Chargers and caught 107 receptions in that span.

NFL.com has the updated AFC East salary cap numbers as of late Friday. A lot has happened through two weeks of free agency.

Let's take a look of where the division teams currently stand.

Buffalo Bills

Cap room: $9,715,709

Analysis: Buffalo entered the offseason with a ton of cap room and spent it primarily on its pass-rush. Defensive end Mario Williams became the highest-paid player in Bills history with $100 million contract and fellow defensive end Mark Anderson also reportedly got $27.5 million. Bills general manager Buddy Nix says the team will spend to the cap this offseason. They still have room to make more signings. But all of the top free agents are gone.

Miami Dolphins

Cap room: $6,470,157

Analysis: I'm still scratching my head how Miami arguably has the least amount of star power on its roster, yet remains the most cap-strapped team in the division. Jake Long and Karlos Dansby are big names. But other than that, where is all the money going? The Dolphins traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall and cut leading tackler Yeremiah Bell to save cap room. They're also not paying for a franchise quarterback. Miami could use free agency to help fill the right side of the offensive line. But there's not much cash left to make any significant signings.

New England Patriots

Cap room: $9,944,664

Analysis: The Patriots are quietly bargain hunting in free agency, and many of their moves makes sense. Signings like receiver Brandon Lloyd, and defensive ends Trevor Scott and Jonathan Fanene were very affordable. Chad Ochocinco and Tom Brady's restructures gave the Patriots even more flexibility. I thought the franchise tag of about $9.4 million to Pro Bowl receiver Wes Welker could hurt New England this offseason. But the Patriots have plenty of room to be fine with that number if Welker and the team do not work out an extension.

New York Jets

Cap room: $7,692,283

Analysis: Several restructures and quarterback Mark Sanchez's contract extension has put the Jets back on decent footing this offseason. Safety LaRon Landry and backup quarterback Tim Tebow were New York's big acquisitions. It also appears the team will retain veteran starting linebacker Bart Scott. The Jets are one of those teams where you're not sure if the arrow is pointing up or down in 2012. This is a club just one year removed from the AFC Championship Game. But last year's 8-8 season may be a sign of where this group currently stands.

The Miami Dolphins traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall for a pair of third-round draft picks and have yet to find a replacement. If the season began today, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess would be the starters.

Miami currently lacks a true No. 1 receiver. But according to Dolphins first-year head coach Joe Philbin, it’s not a big concern in the West Coast offense.

"Part of the philosophy of the offense is to have balance. We want our quarterbacks typically to have what we call progression reads where they’re not necessarily isolated on one specific individual. With that being said, we’re going to play to our hot hand. We’re going to certainly strive to create mismatches and take advantage of the guys that we do have. But the offense, once we install the passing game, is not necessarily built upon, 'OK you’re the No. 1 guy, you’re the No. 2 guy, you’re the No. 3 guy.' As we put the plays together for the quarterback in his mind there’s a progression of who’s the first receiver, who’s the second receiver, who’s the third receiver."

Similar to the offense Philbin orchestrated in Green Bay, the Dolphins plan to throw for the football to the open receiver, regardless of who it is. For the most part there was no star system with the Packers, and the passing game was arguably the NFL's best.

But Matt Moore and David Garrard are not star quarterbacks along the lines to Aaron Rodgers. Can Miami’s starting quarterback drive the offense without help from star receivers in 2012?

The Dolphins are making a lot of fans upset in Miami after a series of offseason moves and non-moves that put the team in a compromising position. The Dolphins were once thought of as a team on the rise in 2012, but optimism is currently very low.

The decisions sparked a protest outside the team's training facility last week in Davie, Fla. According to the Sun-Sentinel, one of those Dolphins fans received a personal call from team owner Stephen Ross. A team official confirmed the call to the Sun-Sentinel.

Jason Lawrence, a longtime Dolphins season-ticket holder, shared his conversation with the paper. Here are some of the interesting tidbits:

• According to Lawrence, Ross said the team was going to release Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall if Miami was unable to trade him to help with "team morale." The move suggests the new coaching staff was unwilling to put up with Marshall's strong personality. Eventually, the Dolphins got a pair of third-round picks for the receiver. But it's interesting Miami was so eager to move Marshall that cutting him for nothing was an option.
• Ross also told Lawrence that the team could have signed quarterback Matt Flynn if it wanted. But new head coach Joe Philbin wasn't sure about Flynn as a starting quarterback. Flynn signed with the Seattle Seahawks instead.

"If my coach said I want Matt Flynn as our starting quarterback next year he would be here," Lawrence recalled Ross saying. "But I couldn't pay Matt Flynn $8 million to come here. If I end up getting him, it's a gamble ... and I'm still drafting a quarterback. I'm still looking for another option."

• Also, Ross admitted to Lawrence that Peyton Manning "wasn't comfortable" with the Dolphins, and that Ross understood.
• Finally, Ross did not think quarterback Tim Tebow could help Miami win games. Ross also said he was "remorseful" for cutting leading tackler and starting safety Yeremiah Bell to save salary-cap space.

It's only March, but the Miami Dolphins have a long way to go to fielding a respectable offense.

Miami was ranked 22nd in total yards last season and was expected to make upgrades at quarterback, receiver and the offensive. Instead, all Miami has done so far is trade Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears and sign 34-year-old quarterback David Garrard to compete with Matt Moore.

Here is a look at Miami’s current offensive depth chart:

• QB: Moore or Garrard
• RB: Reggie Bush
• FB: Charles Clay
• WR1: Brian Hartline
• WR2: Davone Bess
• TE: Anthony Fasano
• RT: Lydon Murtha
• RG: Nate Garner or Artis Hicks
• C: Mike Pouncey
• LG: Richie Incognito
• LT: Jake Long

It's not a group to get excited about. It has to be especially tough for Dolphins rookie head coach Joe Philbin, who had a very talented cast to work with as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

Bush is really the only playmaker who poses a threat to the defense. There are not many good receivers left in free agency, which means Miami probably will look to the draft to address this need. But the Dolphins can still help the right side of their offensive line in free agency.

Does anyone want to play quarterback for the Miami Dolphins next season? It sure doesn't look that way.

After failing to woo future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, the Dolphins also missed on their second choice Sunday. Former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn agreed to a modest three-year, $26 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

This is another big blow to Dolphins ownership and the front office, which thought it could make a splash this offseason. Instead, the Dolphins have been turned down by veteran coach Jeff Fisher, Manning and now Flynn in a short span. Each decline adds further humiliation to the Dolphins, who were already viewed as a shaky organization at the top to begin with.

But the Dolphins losing out on Flynn may be the biggest surprise of the three, considering Flynn's deep ties with rookie Miami head coach Joe Philbin. The pair spent four years growing together in Green Bay, which made Miami the early favorite to get Flynn.

But something didn't go right this weekend when Flynn met with Miami's brass. Perhaps money was the issue. But were the Dolphins unwilling to give up $26 million for a starting quarterback? Or maybe things just didn't feel right for Flynn in Miami, and he thought Seattle was a better fit.

Regardless, the Dolphins have become one of the league's biggest offseason losers in the first week of free agency. They traded away their best receiver (Brandon Marshall) for pennies on the dollar and continue to whiff in their quarterback search.

The home run (Manning) or any potential extra-base hits (Robert Griffin III, Flynn) are out of the question for the Dolphins. Miami had its three strikes, and it's simply time to go back to the dugout and regroup.

The Dolphins may get desperate and sign Alex Smith or David Garrard. But that would only add to Miami's misery. Neither player is the long-term solution. A case can be made that Dolphins incumbent Matt Moore is better in the short term, especially if you consider the millions it would take to sign Smith, who helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.

Miami just needs to stick with Moore and draft a quarterback, perhaps Ryan Tannehill, at No. 8 overall. Free agency could be used to patch up holes at receiver, right guard and right tackle. The Dolphins have suffered enough embarrassment chasing quarterbacks.

But with Miami's front office, you just never know. Maybe we will see Smith in a Dolphins uniform in 2012, or an old-fashioned quarterback competition between Moore and Garrard in training camp.

Anything is possible.

Here are the most interesting stories Thursday morning in the AFC East:

• The Bills continue to keep free agent defensive end Mario Williams in Buffalo for a third straight day.

Morning take: This is going longer than expected, but Williams staying in Buffalo can only be a good thing. Williams would be a game-changer, and today is an important day for the franchise to see if the Bills can get Williams to sign a contract.

• If the Miami Dolphins don't land free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning, are they rebuilding?

Morning take: Without Manning and Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, it appears that way. The defense will still be competitive, but the offense right now has some catching up to do.

• The New York Jets continue to take a methodical approach to free agency.

Morning take: The Jets have concentrated on signing their own players this week. New York doesn't have the cap room this year to go crazy, so the team is correctly searching for smart buys to fill needs.

• New free-agent signing Jonathan Fanene will help the defensive line of the New England Patriots.

Morning take: I covered Fanene for a few years in the AFC North, and I like this signing. His biggest asset is his burst to the quarterback, which the Patriots need. Fanene has 12.5 sacks the past two seasons.

The Miami Dolphins traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall Tuesday to the Chicago Bears. Vincent Jackson, Reggie Wayne, Robert Meachem and Pierre Garcon were all taken off the market quickly on the first day of free agency.

So who, exactly, will be the No. 1 receiver for Miami next season?

The Dolphins had two months to craft their offseason plan to build a title contender in 2012. But after one day of free agency, their plan looks confusing, particularly at wide receiver.

Miami is reportedly interested in Dallas Cowboys free-agent receiver Laurent Robinson. He had a career year replacing Miles Austin last season. Can Robinson be the No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins?

Or will Miami look to the draft? Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon is a top-10 pick. The Dolphins hold the No. 8 pick and now have a huge need at receiver. Should this be Miami’s next target.

What about Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline? He’s been decent opposite Marshall in the starting lineup. Is Hartline ready to take his game to the next level in Miami’s new West Coast offense?

Using our SportsNation poll, predict who will be Miami’s No. 1 receiver next season. You can also share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Former Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall was caught in the middle of yet another controversy early Sunday morning. The enigmatic receiver was traded to the Chicago Bears two days later for two third-round picks.

The initial reaction was the compensation Miami received was lower than market value. Marshall is a player in his prime coming off a Pro Bowl season. The Dolphins traded two second-round picks to get Marshall just two years ago.

But there is a chance Marshall's alleged incident could have lowered his trade value. There are conflicting reports on what happened during an alleged altercation at a New York nightclub. A woman claims Marshall hit her during a melee, while Marshall's reps deny it.

The Bears released a statement Wednesday saying Chicago and Miami were aware of the alleged incident but still went forward with the trade. Marshall is no stranger to trouble. He's had off-the-field incidents in both Denver and Miami.

It's unknown if Marshall is innocent or guilty in this latest case. That will be determined later. But what Marshall hasn't learned is how to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is something Chicago now has to handle, not Miami.

Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday morning in the AFC East:

• The Buffalo Bills are putting the full-court press on former Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams. Can they secure him?

Morning take: Buffalo wants to make Williams one of the NFL's highest-paid players, and money talks. The Bills' best chance is to reach an agreement with him now before Williams visits other teams.

• The Miami Dolphins are showing interest in former Dallas Cowboys receiver Laurent Robinson.

Morning take: Robinson is coming off a career year in Dallas filling in for the injured Miles Austin. Miami needs someone to fill in following the Brandon Marshall trade in a thinning crop of receivers.

• The New York Jets reportedly are interested in free-agent safety Brandon Meriweather.

Morning take: Meriweather has ties to the AFC East as a former Patriot. The Jets need safeties in the wort way, which explains the interest.

• The New England Patriots re-signed linebacker Nick Koutouvides to a one-year contract.

Morning take: The Patriots laid low on the first day of free agency. But you have to wonder how much Brandon Lloyd's price tag went up Tuesday after Vincent Jackson and Pierre Garcon hit it big.

The Miami Dolphins are playing a high-stakes, cat-and-mouse game with the NFL's two biggest free-agent quarterbacks.

Miami wants Peyton Manning, clearly its Plan A. But the Dolphins don't want to sit idle, either. So they reportedly began negotiations with former Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn Tuesday night, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Miami Herald.

We explained this scenario this morning in the AFC East blog. Miami is in the running for Manning and has no choice but to wait on his decision. But the Dolphins also don’t want to be held hostage.

By entering contract negotiations with Flynn, the Dolphins run the risk of turning off Manning. How committed to Manning could the Dolphins be if they’re already looking to sign another quarterback? The Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, for example, are not chasing other quarterbacks.

The Dolphins also traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall Tuesday to the Chicago Bears for two third-round picks. It's unknown if that makes Miami more or less attractive for Manning. But the early reaction to the trade isn't good.

Manning is not expected to make his decision for at least a couple more days. He still has to meet with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.

The first free-agency shocker in the AFC East comes from the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two third-round draft picks.

Here are some thoughts on move:

• From a football standpoint, this is a step in the wrong direction. Marshall was, by far, Miami's best receiver and arguably the team's best player last season. To trade one of your top players away is one thing. But to only get two third-round picks for Marshall is a bad move. Keep in mind, the Dolphins traded two second-round picks to acquire Marshall from Denver two years ago. The Dolphins needed to add a starting receiver this offseason, not get rid of one. Now Miami is in the market for two starting-caliber receivers and just gave away one of the most productive pass catchers in the NFL.
• From a non-football standpoint, I'm sure Miami had its reasons. A new coaching staff is coming in, and that usually means coaches want their type of players in the locker room. Marshall was not always the easiest player to have on the roster. He can be unpredictable at times and has a strong personality. Miami rookie head coach Joe Philbin is trying to establish his program with the Dolphins and probably didn't want to have any wild cards in his locker room.
• Marshall gets to reunite with former teammate and quarterback Jay Cutler in Chicago. He should be happy about that. This move makes the Bears a playoff contender, and the price wasn't steep. But despite immense production, this is Marshall's third team in seven years, which says something. Since 2007, Marshall ranks second in the NFL in receptions (474) and fifth in receiving yards (5,938). But teams keep trading him.
• I'm not sure what, if anything, this means for free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning. There has been some speculation and rumors that Manning was unsure about playing with Marshall. But on the other hand, trading away a Pro Bowl receiver is an odd way of convincing Manning to come to Miami. The Dolphins are still awaiting word from Manning as free agency is officially underway.

Those are my thoughts on the Marshall trade. What's your take: Good move or bad move?

Two of Peyton Manning's most reliable weapons are now on the free-agent market. Former Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark -- both multi-time Pro Bowlers -- will wear new uniforms next season due to Indianapolis' big roster makeover.

Should the Miami Dolphins consider signing one or both players? This would be one sure way to appease Manning, who is considering Miami as one of several destinations.

Miami could use an upgrade at receiver opposite Brandon Marshall. Wayne is a good friend of Manning and lives in Miami, where he went to college. Wayne seems like a good fit. The Dolphins don't have a huge need at tight end. But Clark, 32, could make a decent tandem with Anthony Fasano. Clark does have an injury history the past two seasons that Miami needs to be careful of.

The Dolphins are expected to meet with Manning over the weekend, and Manning has all of the leverage. But this is a very fine line for Miami to walk with free agency approaching.

On one hand, the Dolphins need to be careful not to let a player who may or may not sign with the team dictate how they operate with free agents. On the other hand, this is Peyton Manning -- one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. If going after Wayne and/or Clark is what separates Miami from the other potential Manning suitors, it's probably general manager Jeff Ireland's best interest to swallow his pride (and offseason game plan) and go for it.

Miami's front office has spent months analyzing the draft and free agency, and there is a good chance spending money and cap room on two 30-something pass-catchers wasn't in the plans. But chasing a player the caliber of Manning is a high-stakes game where just about anything goes.

There is a lot of debate in the AFC East blog about which division team is the better fit for free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning. The future Hall of Famer is available, and is expected to choose a new team within the next week.

But in our latest edition of "Poll Friday," we want our community to play the role of Manning. If you were the quarterback, which AFC East team has the best supporting cast: Miami or New York?

The Dolphins are considered one of the favorites, and have several good pieces on offense. They have a Pro Bowl receiver (Brandon Marshall), a Pro Bowl left tackle (Jake Long), and a 1,000-yard running back (Reggie Bush). The defense also is solid and would work well with a high-scoring offense.

Or do the Jets provide Manning with better players? New York has three Pro Bowlers on the offensive line, and a good receiver in Santonio Holmes (when he's not disgruntled). Dustin Keller is certainly an upgrade at tight end over Miami, and the Jets' defense ranked fifth in the NFL last season.

Using our SportsNation poll, vote on which team provides the better supporting cast for Manning. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.