Said tight end Anthony Fasano, “Vontae’s a great player. He’s getting better and better as he got older, became more of a professional. I don’t know the situation within our defense that made that move make sense for us. I trust there’s always a reason behind it. He’s a funny teammate. He’s going to be missed. [But] we’ll move on.”

Smith, a friend of Davis, called the move “definitely surprising,” and predicted Davis “is going to have a hell of a year” but said it’s not his place to critique trades.

Marshall, who was leading Davis in the competition to start opposite Smith, said, “None of us saw this coming. I don’t know how to take it.”

Marshall has played well most of camp but was beaten for several receptions in Friday’s loss to Atlanta, including a 49-yard catch by Julio Jones, who eluded Marshall and Reshad Jones.

“Marshall did some good things in the game,” Philbin said. “There’s still room for improvement. The one missed tackle stuck in my mind. We think Richard is going to have a good season.”

Philbin said another reason the Dolphins felt comfortable trading Davis is that Carroll “has made some really good progress. And Lawrence, we’re interested in seeing how he plays.”

The fifth and sixth cornerbacks on the roster are long shots Vincent Agnew and rookie Kevyn Scott.

Davis told Indianapolis reporters Monday that “what happened in Miami is in the past. Now I’m a Colt.”

Colts coach Chuck Pagano said of Davis: “We live in a great country, and this country is all about second chances.”