Are Chiefs Ready to Move Dwayne Bowe?

Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe looked destined to be a superstar in Kansas City for years to come. In 2007, Bowe's rookie season out of LSU, he had 995 yards receiving, then topped that number in 2008 with 1,022 yards and seven touchdowns.

Year 3, though, has not gone as well. Bowe got off on the wrong foot with new Kansas City head coach Todd Haley -- losing his starting spot in the preseason due to work-ethic questions -- including coming to offseason workouts overweight. He then struggled with a nagging hamstring injury, and has just 15 catches in four games this season.

And with Kansas City 0-5 and apparently in need of a complete overhaul, Bowe's name continues to surface as Tuesday's trade deadline looms.

The speculation kicked up a notch Friday when ESPN claimed that the Ravens were prepared to offer a second- and fifth-round pick for Bowe. Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh did nothing to dispel those rumors, saying that "there are possibilities" for his team on the trade market.

Baltimore has come up in association with just about every available receiver since the offseason -- including Brandon Marshall -- and nearly found itself forced into making a move back in July when Derrick Mason briefly announced his retirement.

The Ravens quelled some of the concerns about their wide receiver group by opening the season 3-0 and scoring 30 points or more in each of those victories. But back-to-back losses to New England and Cincinnati have forced those issues to resurface. The Week 5 loss to the Bengals was particularly troubling offensively, with Baltimore receiver's catching just four of 22 Joe Flacco completions and Mason finishing with no grabs.

From Baltimore's perspective, unloading a pair of picks for Bowe would make complete sense given the Ravens' belief that they can contend for a Super Bowl title this season. Bowe and Mason would give Baltimore a very talented 1-2 punch and further open the ground game for Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.

The deal makes less obvious sense for Kansas City -- it's never that wise to dump a top-flight 25-year-old receiver. Still, the Chiefs are clearly in rebuilding mode (despite the hefty extension they gave Matt Cassel) and Bowe's occasional hiccups with Haley might help label him as expendable.

That said, should the Chiefs opt to move Bowe, it's far from a lock that the Ravens would land him. They aren't the only team searching for WR help, after all.

The Dolphins might be more than willing to unload a second- and fifth-round pick -- or even up the ante slightly -- if the Chiefs dangle Bowe. Miami's current top three of Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo and Ted Ginn has been decent this season, but far from spectacular -- and with Chad Henne now under center, Miami needs some players that can stretch the field.

Miami's interest in Bowe could increase should the Dolphins go into New York and knock off the Jets this week. That would put them at 3-3 and smack dab in the thick of the AFC East race. Even without a victory, taking a shot at Bowe could be worth it -- the Dolphins would have him under contract through at least 2011 and finally have a real No. 1 receiver.

It's not likely that Kansas City unloads Bowe given his natural ability. It's possible, though, and something to keep an eye on as Tuesday closes in.