If there’s one thing that continues to ring true time and time again is that winning is a cure-all in sports.

Take Brandon Marshall and the Denver Broncos for example.

Just over a month ago, Marshall was suspended for acting like a child during a training camp practice in which he punted balls instead of handing them to a ball boy, swatted down passes instead of catching them, and was an overall distraction to his teammates.

Fast forward to the scene following the Broncos’ exciting 17-10 win over the Cowboys on Sunday in which Marshall walked up to the podium during Josh McDaniels’ post game speech and embraced the first-year head coach and you wonder what the hell is going on in Denver.

“You never heard me say anything about him coaching or what he brings to the organization,” Marshall said.

“Our team loves him, we love him and I think he loves being part of this team,” added McDaniels.

Well, aren’t we the Brady Bunch all of a sudden.

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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos have opened discussions with receiver Brandon Marshall about a contract extension.

The potential new deal would put Marshall’s salary more in line with some of the game’s other highly paid receivers.

Due to the fact he has been unable to get a long-term deal, Marshall has been clinging to the hopes that Denver would deal him. But now, in a new approach, the deal Denver might make is not for Marshall, but rather with Marshall.

The fact that they are even talking is an encouraging sign, sources said, and there is some optimism that a deal could be struck that could keep Marshall in Denver long term.

It’s a little odd that the Broncos would open contract extension talks with Marshall right after suspending him for insubordination. One would have thought that they would have waited until the season started to see if Marshall continued his good behavior before talking about possibly paying him like Larry Fitzgerald.

But this is a good sign that the Broncos and Marshall will eventually get something done. Denver can’t afford to lose another prime offensive talent and once Marshall gets paid, he has nothing to complain about. (Until he demands a trade to a contender, of course.)

Boy, this has worked out about as well as Marshall owners could have hoped (so far). Marshall still has a few hurdles to overcome, but his attitude has reportedly been great, so he is in line to play a significant role in Week 1. I think he’s a safe start against a very suspect Bengals team. He’s still somewhat of a risky player to have on your roster, but this is a huge turnaround from where his stock was headed 7-10 days ago.

According to a report by the Denver Post, the Broncos have lifted disgruntled receiver Brandon Marshall’s suspension.

The Broncos formally turned in the paperwork to the league office Sunday to lift wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s suspension.

Marshall was at the team’s Dove Valley complex for meetings and took part in a practice as well.

We’ll see if Marshall can turn this issue into a positive one and get his career back on track. It’s a shame for a player to have that much potential and waste on such a horrible attitude.

Of course, Marshall could have gone into training camp after his hip healed and been a model citizen in order to avoid all of this. But he didn’t – he decided to act like a child and sink his trade value to an all-time low.

Time will tell if the light bulb went off in his head.

ESPN’s Ed Werder is reporting that Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels has informed disgruntled receiver Brandon Marshall that he has been suspended.

Here’s some of the highlights from Werder’s report on ESPN’s “First Take” on Friday morning:

- The suspension stems from Marshall’s antics at a practice on Wednesday morning in which he punted balls after catching them (instead of handing them to ball boys), swatting away a pass that was thrown to him and for general insubordination.

- Werder presumes that Marshall has been suspended without pay, but the length of the suspension has yet to be confirmed.

- Werder doesn’t believe that this suspension will amp up trade talks, as the Broncos will have trouble getting fair compensation for Marshall’s talent. Denver reportedly is seeking a first and a fourth round draft pick.

I don’t know how Marshall will respond to this suspension, but if he were smart, he’d take the opportunity to wipe the slate clean. He’s not going to get what he wants from the Broncos (or any other team for that matter) if he continues to act in the manner he has. Call me crazy, but teams generally don’t like it when players have multiple off-field issues, bitch about their contract, admit to not learning the playbook and then are insubordinate in practice.

If he wants to butt heads with McDaniels or the Broncos, Marshall is going to continue to have these problems. If he owns up to his actions, then maybe the two sides can come to some kind of resolution. But just like a kid who stomps his feet and draws on the walls in an effort to get what he wants, Marshall is going to find getting that new contract a bit difficult if he continues on the path he’s on.

This is getting ugly. Obviously, this kind of news will continue to depress Marshall’s stock. He’s regularly available in the 4th round of fantasy drafts, and as this news permeates the public, I wouldn’t be surprised if it dropped even further. Likewise, this is going to hurt Kyle Orton’s stock, as he would benefit from having as many options as possible in the passing game.

If the Marshall and the team can’t put this behind them, then the Broncos needs to move Marshall to rid themselves of the headache. Maybe they aren’t going to get a pick commensurate to his talent, but that’s not his true value. Teams trading for Marshall can see how he’s acting and his personality and work ethic have to be taken into account.

After a tumultuous offseason in which he’s demanded a new contract or for the Broncos to trade him, receiver Brandon Marshall has seemingly reached his boiling point.

During a recent practice, Marshall exuded frustration by punting balls after catching them (instead of handing them to the ball boy) and swatting away a pass that was thrown to him. But he now admits that his actions were an “error in judgment” on his part.

From ESPN.com:

In the video aired by KMGH-TV from Wednesday’s portion of practice that was open to the media, Marshall was shown walking when the rest of the team was running during warmups, insolently punting the ball away instead of handing it to a ball boy and swatting away a pass that was thrown to him.

Marshall said some of the video, which included a shot of him sitting on his pads before practice, was taken out of context. But he acknowledged his frustration boiled over and that it was an error in judgment to act as he did, especially when he punted the ball.

“I think everybody knows there’s a lot of stuff built up there, and me handling it that way wasn’t good,” Marshall said during the ESPN phone interview. “I think if I could do it again I definitely wouldn’t punt the ball.”

Marshall said he wasn’t trying to force his way out of town — he asked for a trade this summer after the Broncos declined to rework a contract which will pay him $2.2 million this season.

“I’m not out there trying to be a distraction to the team,” Marshall said. “Unfortunately, yesterday I kind of let my frustration get the best of me.”

I went into more detail yesterday about Marshall’s situation in Denver, which you can read here. But the bottom line is that he needs to look up the word professionalism and then apply it to his career.

He’s not doing himself any favors by acting like a child while at practice. In fact, he’s only getting further and further away from what he truly wants (whether that’s a new contract, to be traded or both).

According to a report by the Denver Post, the Broncos are willing to listen to offers for receiver Brandon Marshall, as long as those offers include a first and a fourth round draft pick.

The Broncos would listen for trade offers for Marshall if they included first- and fourth-round draft picks. But the buzz among the league executives contacted this week was that they would want to see if Marshall is healthy after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason.

And a few of those personnel executives said they would have to explain to the team ownership that Marshall, despite his acquittal on misdemeanor battery charges in Atlanta earlier this month, is still considered one more brush with the law away from a substantial suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

In other words, despite their battle of wills, McDaniels and Marshall may need each other, at least for the time being. McDaniels needs a playmaker, the executives said, and Marshall needs to show he is full speed and ready to be a productive player, to get his wish to be traded.

The article hits the nail on the head; Marshall needs to play ball (literally and figuratively) if he expects to get what he wants. He wants a new contract and/or to be traded, but he can’t have either of those things if he makes a stink in Denver, because the Broncos will be unwilling to give him more money and unable to deal him to another team.

Marshall’s best course of action would be to get healthy, suit up, shut up and play. That way he shows good faith to the Broncos and proves to other teams that he’s worth the risk. As of now, he hasn’t even taking the time to learn the Broncos’ playbook and continues to speak out about wanting a new contract. Those things aren’t helping him.

From a pure trade stand point, the compensation of a first and a fourth for a receiver of Marshall’s talent would be worth it for a team. But factor in his health and his off-field history, and the situation gets a lot more complicated.

This certainly bears watching, but I don’t think the Broncos are going to get a 1st and a 4th for Marshall, and given his overall attitude this summer, teams will only trade for him if they’re getting a good deal. He’s practicing now, which is a good sign, and that makes him an interesting pick in the 4th or 5th round of fantasy drafts. While all of this drama has been going on, Eddie Royal has been working his tail off, and he may end up as the team’s top receiver. This would make him a great deal in the 5th or 6th.

According to Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News, the Jets are exploring a trade for a receiver and Brandon Marshall is the biggest name on their radar.

If the Jets do add a veteran, it probably won’t be a free agent such as Marvin Harrison.

Another name to watch is the Chiefs’ Dwayne Bowe, a former first-round pick. He caught 86 balls for 1,022 yards on an awful team last season, but he’s had a difficult transition under new coach Todd Haley. He may have played his way out of the doghouse with five catches in the preseason opener, but the Chiefs are rebuilding and will move a player if he doesn’t fit their long-term plans.

The Giants are another team that bears watching. They have a glut of receivers, and the Jets are wondering if one, perhaps Sinorice Moss, will become available.

The Jets are awfully inexperienced at receiver so it makes sense that they would be interested in trading for one. But they could have a hard time finding a trade partner, especially as the regular season draws closer.

The Broncos have already stated that Marshall isn’t available, but if he continues to make a stink about his contract they could wind up dealing him and picking up yet another first round pick for 2010. (They already acquired a first round pick for next year in the Jay Cutler trade.)

Even though Bowe may be in Haley’s doghouse, he’s a key piece to an improving young offense in Kansas City. So it’s highly doubtful that Scott Pioli would make him available. Still, the Jets’ receiver situation will be intriguing to follow over the next week or so.

One would think that Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall would lay low for a while after being acquitted last week of a misdemeanor battery charge for supposedly beating his girlfriend. But apparently that’s just not how Brandon Marshall rolls.

According to a report by Yahoo! Sports, Marshall has reiterated to the Broncos that he either wants a new contract extension or be traded.

Marshall and his agent apparently got together with Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels yesterday to let him know that the wide receiver still wants a new contract extension or to be traded. The team reportedly has no plans to change his contract or trade him.

So Marshall didn’t practice yesterday and may just hold out till something better comes along. Of course, that means a daily $15,888 fine, which could eat into his $450,000 pretty quickly.

Marshall is reportedly looking for a deal in the neighborhood of what the Falcons gave Roddy White ($48 million over six years). Apparently NFL receivers just can’t be happy for each other without wanting what the other is making. (Don’t forget that White wanted what Greg Jennings got from the Packers earlier this offseason.)

Marshall doesn’t get it. The Broncos aren’t going to commit that kind of money to a guy who could easily wind up in court again by the end of the year, as opposed to helping them on the gridiron. His production on the field certainly warrants a new contract, but his immaturity off it will keep Denver from following through on an extension.

The Broncos aren’t going to trade him and if Marshall were smart, he would play out the remainder of his contract by being good both on and off the field. At the end of the year, the Broncos can decide whether or not he’s worth the investment by either offering him a new deal, franchising him so he doesn’t hit the open market, or flat out allowing him to walk via free agency.

The bottom line is that Denver wants the ball in its court and not allow Marshall (or his agent) to have control of the situation. If things get messy heading into the season, so be it, but the Broncos can’t allow another player to dictate his own situation like Jay Cutler was able to do before he was traded to Chicago.

According to the Denver Post, Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall has been found not guilty in his misdemeanor battery case and won’t be suspended for this upcoming season (or at least not stemming from this situation).

Next up for Marshall: Recovering from hip surgery. He has been out the past two weeks with a leg injury. But first things first. A guilty verdict on battery most certainly potentially would have put Marshall in front of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for further discipline. Not now. Once Marshall is able, and once Marshall is willing _ (another question, perhaps?) _ he will be free to become the Broncos’ top receiver again.

This wasn’t the first time that Marshall has found himself in trouble with the law, but hopefully for his sake (and the Broncos’), it’s the last. If he were found guilty, he likely would have faced stiff punishment from the league.

Even though Marshall was found not guilty, neither the Broncos nor another team will want to hand him a multimillion-dollar deal (he becomes a free agent at the end of the season) knowing that he has had legal problems in the past. So it would behoove him to focus on his rehab and not cause another stink about his contract situation.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Marshall vents any more about his contract and/or how he wants to be traded.

If you thought Brandon Marshall would give up $14,000 a day just because he’s a little ticked off at the Broncos well then you, my friend, are sadly mistaken. The disgruntled receiver said that he would be in attendance when the Broncos open training camp on July 27.

“It’s $14,000 a day if I miss. So I will be there. I’m not stupid.”

The last line in his comment is up for debate seeing as how he’s been in no less than eight off field incidents involving authorities since 2004, including situations involving domestic violence, DUIs and misdemeanor battery charges. He might not be stupid, but he’s a long ways away from being intelligent.

That said, at least this ends the debate of whether or not Marshall will be in camp come the end of the month. While his reasons (money, money, money, money, money – MON-AY!) for being in camp are completely self-absorbed, so were his reasons for potentially holding out too. He’s upset that he’s still playing on his rookie contract and while he is underpaid given his production to this point in his career, who could blame Denver for not wanting to pony up for a guy who could wind up in jail at any given time during the day?

Chances are, Marshall is going to make things messy for the Broncos in camp. He’ll openly bitch about his contract and his desire to be traded, and then the front office will have to decide whether or not to keep the distraction around, or try and trade him for some decent compensation. Either way, just because Marshall is reporting to camp, doesn’t mean that this situation has been resolved.