Dolphins balk at price for Green
Kansas City and Miami continue to work out the specifics of a trade that would send quarterback Trent Green to the Dolphins, but a source said Friday that a deal still is a ways from being completed.
Agent Jim Steiner said Friday that he and the Dolphins have reached a point where they are “close enough on a contract that it’s a non-issue.” Steiner and the Dolphins have been talking for approximately two weeks about revising Green’s contract. Green is scheduled to make about $7.5 million this year, but has been told he must revise his contract to close a deal.
“This thing is to the point that it’s between the clubs,” Steiner said.
But a source with knowledge of the talks said that the Chiefs have been asking for too much. Kansas City President Carl Peterson has cited both the Matt Schaub trade from Atlanta to Houston this week and the dealing of Wes Welker from the Dolphins to New England as benchmarks for an agreement.
The Falcons received two second-round picks and switched places in the first round this year for Schaub. The Dolphins received second- and seventh-round picks for Welker.
The source said the Dolphins consider that kind of compensation far too steep a price to pay.
“The Chiefs have to get a little more realistic,” the source said. “We’re talking about a 37-year-old quarterback.”
In 2005, the Chiefs and Dolphins waited until the day before the draft to complete a deal that sent cornerback Patrick Surtain to the Chiefs.
Steiner wouldn’t discuss the trade talks between the teams, but said that Green was anxious to move on.
“I don’t think Trent has the stomach to wait until the draft for this to happen,” Steiner said. “From his perspective, he wants to be there when the Dolphins start their offseason program and he has a contract where he’s required to participate in the Chiefs' offseason program if he’s still with them. That wouldn’t be very comfortable.”
Green was told at the beginning of March that he would have to compete with second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle for the starting job this season if he returned to the Chiefs. He would also have to take a pay cut to return to the Chiefs, Steiner said.
That prompted Green to look at going to the Dolphins, who are coached by Cam Cameron. Cameron coached Green in Washington during Green’s first two years in the NFL. Cameron was an assistant with the Redskins at the time.
The Dolphins must also decide what to do with Daunte Culpepper, who would be in jeopardy of being released if Green joins the team. The Dolphins have also expressed some interest in signing former Houston quarterback David Carr and have discussed trading up for one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, either Brady Quinn or JaMarcus Russell.
Friends of Culpepper have expressed concern for his future in Miami after being traded there a year ago. Members of the Dolphins organization have indicated they have doubts about Culpepper’s ability to recover from a knee injury and subsequent surgeries. Culpepper was limited to four games last season before undergoing more surgery this year.
Culpepper has also rubbed coaches the wrong way at times with a stubborn approach to changing his game. The Dolphins have encouraged Culpepper to work on getting rid of the ball more quickly, but he has been reticent to do so.
