Tag: Josh McDaniels (Page 8 of 11)

Winning is a cure-all, just ask Brandon Marshall

October 5, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

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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Stokley’s circus catch gives Broncos last-second win over Bengals

September 13, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

For 59 minutes and 32 seconds, the Broncos and Bengals played the most boring game of Week 1. Then Cincinnati cornerback Leon Hall forgot that batting the ball straight up in the air is a horrible idea.

Check out this crazy touchdown by Brandon Stokley to give Denver an improbable 12-7 victory over the Bengals on Sunday:

At first, I disagreed with the commentator who said that Hall could have intercepted Kyle Orton’s horrid pass. It looked like he jumped at his highest point and while falling backwards, he tried to knock the ball down and instead batted it straight up.

But upon further review, Hall could have picked off the pass had he positioned his body better when the ball was in the air. Or at the very least, he should have been able to knock the ball down instead of doing his best impression of a volleyball setter by batting the football up.

Either way, this was a heartbreaking loss for the Bengals. They didn’t play a clean game, but they should have had this win locked up after Cedric Benson scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining. Plus, on the play before Stokley’s circus catch, Cincinnati had intercepted Orton but the defender couldn’t stay in bounds while he was coming down with the football. The Bengals had several opportunities to start the 2009 season 1-0 but they fell victim to a fluke play.

It was a cheap win, but Josh McDaniels will take it after all the crap he went through (some of it he created himself) this summer with Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.

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Broncos suspend Brandon Marshall

August 28, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

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.

Conversely, Eddie Royal’s stock has been on a slow and steady march upwards ever since Marshall’s injury and attitude became public. He’s been going in the early 5th in 12-team leagues, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually overtakes Marshall in the next couple of weeks. Tony Scheffler, Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley will also be helped by Marshall’s potential absence.

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.

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Marshall admits to “error in judgment” regarding actions at recent practice

August 28, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

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).

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Broncos willing to listen to offers for Marshall

August 27, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

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.

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