The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog » Brandon Marshall Broncos

Seahawks’ to pass on trading for Marshall?

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:00:28 +0000

FOXSports.com’s John Czarnecki writes that there’s no way that Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll will part with the sixth overall pick for Brandon Marshall.

Remember when Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall flew to Seattle once free agency began? Well, the Seahawks checked him out, but still haven’t made an offer. Yes, Marshall is available, but the asking price is steep. At minimum a first-round draft choice and there’s no way that Pete Carroll is parting with the sixth overall pick for a disgruntled receiver who really can’t stretch the field. The Seahawks already have enough of those types of receivers: overpaid route runners!

Is it just me or does Czarnecki’s reports usually leave a little something to be desired? He has the access to provide good information but the follow through usually comes up short. It’s almost like he fails to look at all the information before formulating his opinions.

Even though the Seahawks brought Marshall in for a visit a couple weeks ago, it makes no sense for them to put together an offer sheet when no other team has shown interest yet. Why would they compete against themselves in a trade like that? Plus, Czarnecki fails to mention that Seattle also has the 14th overall pick, which allows them to keep their selection at No. 6 and still attempt to work out a trade for Marshall. If they could get another team involved, the Seahawks could trade the No. 14 selection for a later first round pick, get more compensation (whether it be another second or third rounder) and then trade whatever first round pick they acquire from the third team to Denver for Marshall.

So while I agree with the sentiment that Carroll won’t give up the No. 6 overall pick for Marshall, he could still do a lot with No. 14.

Lastly, I wouldn’t call Marshall a true speedster but he can certainly stretch the field. I think what Czarnecki is confused about is the fact that Marshall isn’t explosive off the ball, which gives people the impression that he’s not a true deep threat. But he has more than enough speed and once he gets into full stride, his long legs allow him to create separation from defensive backs. So to insinuate that Marshall would just be another “overpaid route runner” is absolutely ridiculous.

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Would Marshall be a good fit for the Patriots?

Anthony Stalter — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:30:36 +0000

ESPN’s John Clayton was recently asked whether or not Brandon Marshall would be a good fit in New England and this is what the Professor had to say:

“He’s perfect for the Patriots’ offense and would add excitement to the division. Julian Edelman should develop into a nice slot receiver. I don’t know if he will be as good as Welker, but he can be very effective. The Patriots left themselves short of receiving talent last year after Moss and Welker. Adding a great receiver such as Marshall would be intriguing. They hit the jackpot in trades for Welker and Moss. Why not roll the dice a third time?”

I think Marshall would be a good fit for any team. He’s a rare talent and a true go-to receiver in every sense of the word. He has mastered how to use his body to screen opponents from the ball while making plays in traffic and while he’s not explosive, he uses long strides to build speed and run away from defenders in the open field.

The problem is that Marshall is a freaking coconut. His mood changes with the seasons and he’s been a headache off the field since he entered the league. Nobody questions his talent; they question the thing between his ears and that’s why the Broncos have been hesitant to commit to him long-term.

I agree with everything Clayton says about Marshall being a good fit in New England. He would be accountable to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, he would benefit from playing alongside Wes Welker and he would allow the Patriots to get younger at receiver – of course he’d be a great fit. But that doesn’t mean the Pats would want to fork over a draft pick (or multiple draft picks) and a new contract in order to acquire him from Denver. A lot would obviously go into a decision like that, including whether or not Marshall would behave himself after getting paid.

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Marshall suddenly changing his tune

Anthony Stalter — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:46:19 +0000

In a surprise reversal of attitude, Broncos’ receiver Brandon Marshall admitted to the Denver Post that he was unprofessional last season in his actions.

“Learning from last year and last offseason, I approached things unprofessional,” Marshall said today at the Super Bowl XLIV media center. “This offseason I’m just going to go with the flow and just go in whatever direction the Broncos want to go.”

Marshall was an unhappy Bronco last year when he protested his contract situation by holding out from a mandatory minicamp in June and acting up during a preseason practice in August. He put his issues behind him to make 101 catches through 15 games, but he found more trouble in the season’s final week.

When he tweaked his hamstring in a Wednesday practice, and showed up 20 minutes late for treatment on Friday morning, Marshall was deactivated from the final game against Kansas City.

Is Marshall now having second thoughts about leaving the Broncos?

“I don’t know if I would call it, second thoughts,” Marshall said. “Last year I handled things totally wrong. I just looked at the business side of things and took things too personally. This year I’m going to remove myself from the situation and let the Broncos decide the direction we’re going to go in as an organization.”

There’s a possibility that Marshall has seen the error of his ways and is taking the necessary steps in order to turn around his attitude and look at things more realistically. But chances are, somebody (his agent?) got to him and told him that he needs to toe the company line until the Broncos trade him, or else he’ll never gets what he wants, which is a new contract.

The problem is that no matter how pleasant Marshall seems in interviews this offseason, teams are already well aware of the risk they’ll take if they try and acquire him. His track record speaks for itself and considering that his attitude soured last year as soon as the Broncos started losing, I don’t think teams will be fooled by the new, contrite Brandon Marshall.

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Marshall expected to be traded after March 5

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:41:43 +0000

The Denver Post reports that the Broncos are expected to trade receiver Brandon Marshall soon after the NFL free agency period opens on March 5.

During the AFC Pro Bowl team’s first practice Wednesday at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Marshall ran a few patterns at top speed, cut sharply on the artificial surface and showed no ill effects from the bum hamstring that brought on a controversial and premature end to his 2009 season.

After the practice, Marshall was pleasant and conversational, until it was time to speak on the record.
“I’m not talking,” he said. “I’ve had enough publicity.”

Marshall was benched by Broncos coach Josh McDaniels the Friday before Denver’s final game of the season, essentially for punitive, not injury-related, reasons.

The roller coaster that is Brandon Marshall’s NFL life continues. The Broncos may have a tough time getting fair compensation for Marshall in a trade after he and head coach Josh McDaniels got into it during the final week of the season. Teams aren’t going to be willing to hand over draft picks knowing that the Broncos want to dump the troubled receiver. And let’s not forget Marshall’s, uh, character quirks.

It’s funny to think back at the start of the season when the Broncos were winning and Marshall went up to hug McDaniels during a post-game presser. Their relationship collapsed quicker than Denver’s season.

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Brandon Marshall speaks out

John Paulsen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:30:31 +0000

“Everything I’ve done has been nothing but 100% commitment to the Denver Broncos and to my teammates… To say I’ve given up on my teammates is just a disgusting feeling, and it hurts me… I have nothing but great things to say about Coach McDaniels, this organization… Mr. B is one of the best owners in all of sports. I take my hat off to Josh McDaniels because, if it wasn’t for him, the growth in me this year wouldn’t be there.”

– Brandon Marshall, via BroncoTalk (and 104.3 The Fan in Denver)

In terms of pure ability, where does Marshall rank amongst wideouts in the NFL? From a value standpoint, he’s only 25, so he’s just now entering his prime. That’s scary. Without all the off-the-field stuff, I’d probably only take Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald ahead of Marshall in a free-for-all draft. But with all the off-the-field drama, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White and Vincent Jackson look more appealing. They give you 98% of the production without all the headaches.

With Marshall and the Broncos once again looking to be on the outs, some lucky team has an opportunity to acquire the talented wideout this summer.

Broncos willing to field calls for Marshall?

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:37:04 +0000

Despite a report earlier this week that stated they would stand firm and not deal the disgruntled receiver, Adam Schefter writes on his Twitter page that the Broncos are willing to field calls for Brandon Marshall.

Though Denver does not want to trade Brandon Marshall, it will take calls. Won’t make them, but will take them. A 1 gets BM is my guess.

Schefter is usually solid in his reporting, so there’s no reason not to buy into what he’s saying. But that said, is this really news worthy? Even if the Broncos do plan on taking a stand and not dealing Marshall, they still would benefit from picking up the phone and listening to any offers. It’s not like if the Ravens called and offered two first round picks (not that they would) that the Broncos wouldn’t entertain the thought.

What will probably happen is that Denver will wait to see if Marshall reports to training camp in a few weeks. If he does, great – they can go about resolving the issue in-house. But if he doesn’t show, and there’s good reason to believe that he won’t, then the Broncos have to entertain the idea of trying to get something for him since he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2009 season. (Especially considering that it is getting more obvious that he wants out of Denver at any cost.)

Report: Marshall wants out of Denver

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:30:14 +0000

Or so says NFL Insider Adam Schefter (via Rotoworld):

NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on 850 KOA in Denver that Brandon Marshall asked Broncos owner Pat Bowlen for a trade during their meeting Friday.

Per Schefter, Bowlen asked Marshall to take some time to reconsider his stance. Marshall is not expected to back down, however, which means the Broncos are right back where they were with Jay Cutler. Though it’s possible that a new contract could assuage Marshall, it’s more likely that the receiver will continue to push for a trade. Perhaps the Bears will be interested.

This is what I wrote over the weekend when Marshall left the Broncos’ facilities with packed boxes after his meeting with Bowlen (I feel it’s appropriate given this latest news):

Marshall is extremely underpaid considering his on-field production. But he’ll have to excuse the Broncos for not wanting to dole out a big second contract to someone who can’t keep his act together off the field. It’s hardly a savvy business decision to guarantee a truckload of money to a player that might just wind up being suspended again in the future. Marshall has already had at least seven reported incidents since being drafted, so he’s hardly a reliable investment for Denver.

That said, if the Broncos don’t want to lose another gigantic piece of their offense, they’re going to have to pony up. Denver doesn’t want another mess on its hands like it had with Jay Cutler, so Bowlen and company need to make a decision regarding whether or not they want to take a risk by paying Marshall to keep him happy.

The Broncos will ultimately have to decide whether or not they want to completely bulldoze what they’ve built and start over with Josh McDaniels. If they trade Marshall, they can acquire draft picks and group them with what they got in the Cutler trade. They might lose in the short term, but win in the long run assuming they can put together some decent drafts (including the one they just had in April). Either way, Bowlen and McDaniels have their work cut out for them.