It was only one scrimmage.

It was only one preseason game.

The head coach isn’t even worried, so why should anyone else be?

If those who follow the Dolphins want to take any of the above stances when it comes to Brandon Marshall’s recent struggles in South Beach, I wouldn’t blame them. After all, it’s only the second week of the preseason and we’re still weeks away from the games actually counting.

But given his history with behavioral issues, why wouldn’t people be concerned?

Marshall followed up a poor showing in a scrimmage two weeks ago by dropping the only two passes that were thrown to him during Miami’s first preseason game last weekend. Then, and stop me if you’ve already heard this one, during a practice session on Monday he reportedly dropped a pass in the end zone and then punted it over a fence. He proceeded to stand by himself, sulking on the sidelines afterwards.

Head coach Tony Sparano shrugged off the kicking incident by saying, “I didn’t see it, but I got bigger fish to fry…If he drops them and he gets pissed off at himself about dropping them, I’m okay with that.”

The Dolphins traded for Marshall so that he could give their passing game a boost and despite his well-documented issues in Denver, they gave him a $46 million contract extension. So while it’s good that Sparano isn’t making a mountain out of a molehill, what else is he supposed to say? He’s better off looking the other way and hoping that the problem corrects itself, instead of taking the route of Josh McDaniels and playing a disciplinarian.

Predictably, some in the media have already started making comparisons to Marshall’s recent behavior to that of his actions last year in Denver. But maybe his issues in Miami are a result of the pressure that is being placed on him this year, instead of his penchant for acting out.

Let’s think about this for a second: He’s making more money than he ever has during his career and is now being viewed as somewhat of a savior on a team that is expected to contend this season. That kind of pressure would be tough on any player, not to mention one that has had some maturity issues in the past. Maybe Marshall isn’t acting out; he’s experiencing the weight of something bigger for the first time in his career and the pressure is getting to him.

Either way, it’s too early in the season to draw conclusions on how he’ll fair in his first year in Miami. Again, it’s only the second week of the preseason and there’s plenty of time for Marshall to get into a rhythm and show his new team why they forked over a draft pick and $46 million in order to acquire him.

But if he doesn’t figure things out soon, it’ll only get worse from here. And more episodes like the one he had on Monday and the national media will be relentless in reporting on Marshall’s behavior from here on out.

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.

The truth of the matter is that Marshall has been on his best behavior since the suspension. He hasn’t griped about his contract (he becomes a free agent at the end of the year) or his role in the offense. In fact, until he made the spectacular 51-yard touchdown catch and run late in the fourth quarter to help Denver win, he had a modest 3-catch, 40-yard day going.

But let’s get back to this winning thing. The Broncos are 4-0 and are playing with a ton of confidence, especially on defense where they’ve held opponents to less than a touchdown per game. If they continue to win, there’s no reason to think that Marshall and McDaniels won’t have more coom-by-ya moments during press conferences.

But what happens when Marshall and the Broncos start to face adversity? Will Marshall continue to be on his best behavior or will he start to speak out like he’s done so many times in the past? Is it crazy to think that if Denver rattles off four-straight losses that the oft-disgruntled receiver won’t start to openly complain about the organization again?

The Broncos are definitely the most intriguing mystery of 2009. Nobody knows quite what to think about them right now but one thing is for sure, if they keep winning all will be right in Denver.

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.