According to Mike Klis of The Denver Post, receiver Brandon Marshall could be facing a substantial suspension if he’s found guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge at his trial on Thursday in Atlanta.
Marshall’s trade request is secondary to his trial Thursday in Atlanta. If he’s found guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge, he could be suspended for a substantial period. If that happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos dump Marshall for a bag of deflated balls.
But if he’s found innocent, then I think the Broncos will try to get Marshall’s hip healthy and hope he has another big year for them. Only then would he have trade value.
Marshall received a three-game suspension from the NFL in August of last year due to his off-field issues, but he appealed the decision and it was reduced to only one game. If Marshall is found guilty on Thursday, then commissioner Roger Goodell could view the situation as the receiver’s second official offense under the league’s player conduct policy and come down hard on him as Klis suggests in his article.
Now, what kind of suspension that entails I don’t know but given Goodell’s track record, it could be anywhere from three to 16 games. (Pacman Jones was suspended for an entire season, while Chris Henry was suspended eight games, Tank Johnson for 10 games and Michael Vick for six games.)
We’ll see what comes out of Marshall’s trial. One thing is for sure, if the Broncos intend to deal Marshall before the season, they better hope he doesn’t receive a guilty verdict on Thursday or else they’ll be hard-pressed to find a trade suitor.
