Brandon Marshall Trade - Not If But When?

The Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be playing in his second Pro Bowl this season, but it may be the last time he dons a Broncos helmet. Marshall's success in the NFL has been tarnished by his past infractions with the law outside of football. It is believed that even one more infraction could bring Marshall a lengthy suspension from the league. Although he has performed as a consistent weapon on offense for the Broncos, Marshall has exhibited a tendency to act in a manner some would deem unprofessional.

During the 2008 NFL season Brandon Marshall almost cost the Denver Broncos a win in a game as he tried to display a handkerchief in a symbolic gesture to the election of Barack Obama. Before the start of the 2009 season, a disgruntled Marshall asked to be traded out of Denver. When this did not seem likely, Marshall was caught on tape punting a football away instead of handing the ball to an expecting ball boy and batting away passes that were intended for him to catch.

Despite the seemingly awful start, the Pro Bowl wide receiver ended up playing very well for the Broncos for a large part of the season. On December 13, 2009 Marshall broke the record for receptions in a game with 21 total catches.

At the end of the season, the wide receiver was benched for the Broncos final game against the Chiefs. This was a game with possible playoff implications and head coach Josh McDaniels along with team captains decided Marshall was not doing enough to help the team win.

The prevailing wisdom is the Broncos would have already signed Marshall to a multi-year deal if they intended to keep the wide receiver on the team. Currently, trade rumors have once again hit the blogosphere and news headlines especially due to the fact that Marshall wants a high paying contract and he will likely become a restricted free agent in February.

Some feel that the Broncos should tender Marshall to the highest possible amount which would allow a team to sign Marshall if Denver did not match the offer. The team would also have to give the Broncos a first and third round pick if the wide receiver is a restricted free agent tendered to the highest amount.

Marshall might be a hard sell at this price even with his Pro Bowl talent. A team in this scenario would have to pony up a large contract for the risk burdened Marshall in addition to sending the Broncos multiple draft picks. A lower tender or a straight trade for another somewhat high caliber player might get the trade done.