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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