Brandon Marshall is gone from the Dolphins, but it won't be easy to forget him until Miami replaces the three-time Pro Bowl receiver with another playmaker.
Or so you would think.
According to Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, having a high-profile target isn't a necessity when you're running the West Coast offense.
"Part of the philosophy of the offense is to have balance," Philbin said Wednesday, according to ESPN.com. "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.' "
Philbin's previous gig was offensive coordinator in Green Bay, where he wasn't exactly dealing with chopped liver. Receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson accounted for 24 touchdowns and over 2,200 yards, while the man making progressions was NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. The Dolphins, meanwhile, have Matt Moore and David Garrard at QB, with Brian Hartline and Davone Bess sitting atop the receiver depth chart.
The West Coast offense is a proven strategy when executed properly, but Philbin's pieces in Green Bay are far different than what he has been handed in Miami. And "different" is the nice way to put it.