Change of Scenery For Holmes, Marshall

First it was Santonio Holmes, now it's Brandon Marshall.

Two premiere, yet often troubled, receivers in the prime of their careers are moving on. Holmes to the Jets, Marshall to the Dolphins. If I'm either of those teams, I'm thinking "Jackpot!"

Sure, both have had their problems in the past. Holmes is in trouble right now, about to face a four-game suspension due to his refusal to give up blowing tree. But that looming suspension is what caused his price to go lower than expired beans at Save-A-Lot.

Picking up a 26-year-old Super Bowl MVP for a 5th-round pick is Christmas morning in Jets camp. Will he fail another drug test and face a year suspension? Possible but not probable. Did he need a change of scenery out of Pittsburgh? Most definitely.

Now the Steelers will have you believe that they were "sending a message." That they were taking a stand against this type of behavior, which included another alleged assault to his record. To a certain extent, maybe.

If they weren't already dealing with Big Ben's second alleged sexual assault they would have just dealt with Holmes' situation. They know they're a worse team without Holmes. But they can't get rid of Big Ben. Quarterbacks are more valuable than a receiver, that's just the way it is. Two incidents at the same time were too much for the Rooney's. They had to choose and they went with the receiver who was set to become a free agent at the end of the year.

Maybe Holmes was a cancer in the locker room, I don't know. If that's the case, a new locker room may be just what the doctor ordered.

I wonder about how many teams were interested in Holmes. If it was only the Jets, shame on the other 30 teams. I have a hard time believing nobody was willing to give up something better than 5th-round pick. I'd eat the four-game suspension and have him ready to go Week 5.

MARSHALL TO MIAMI

It must be give-away week in the NFL. Miami coming away with Brandon Marshall for two second-round picks confirms Tony Sparano is running things like Tony Soprano.

Not only do they get Marshall out of Denver, something he's wanted for years now, they hook him up with the fattest contract a receiver has ever received.

Marshall's had his share of run-ins with the law and team management in the past. The domestic abuse charges are always worrisome and cause for concern. One would hope those issues are a thing of the past, but after three different incidents, you wonder.

 The riffs with management always seemed to be about money. Well, that's no longer an issue. The next question there becomes, "Is he still motivated?" Only time will tell.

Parcells has pulled out the checkbook this off-season to get the Dolphins in the playoffs. Karlos Dansby and Marshall are big, high-priced pieces in place.  Sparano will have to keep everything and everyone in line.

The AFC East is going to be featured more than ever. (Minus the Bills.)