Read Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer’s opinions.
Here’s an NFL fun fact – the wide receiver position is full of self-assured prima donnas. (Thanks, Captain Obvious). Certainly not all receivers overinflate their self-worth and value to a football team, but many do. Generally, fans have a hard time getting behind these types of players. Their vocal nature and occasionally controversial attitudes do not seem to fit with the limited role they play on the team – running routes, catches passes, and blocking (though not all receivers have warmed up to that “concept”). While all of these things are true about receivers in general, they aren’t true about Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, a real, emerging talent who doesn’t fit the prima donna mold.
First, he is a talented receiver. At the tender age of 25 he has already cemented his status as a #1 receiver on his team, and a top 10 receiver in the NFL. Marshall has only played two – TWO – full seasons of professional football, but already averages well over 1,100 yards per season in those two years and is a tall yet speedy deep-threat all passing oriented offenses covet. His two years as a starter have produced over 100 catches a season while racking up well over 80-yards per game. It’s even possible to argue that Marshall’s stats would have been even better if not for a terrible running game in Denver during the 2008 season. In other words, Marshall saw a lot of double teams he would not have normally lined up against if the opposing defense had to respect the run. Plus, the great thing about Marshall is his age. He is still three to four years away from reaching his prime, placing his value at an all time high.
Second, he’s not prima donna. Unlike former New York Giants Plaxico Burress (who, besides Terrell Owens, is the most problematic, prototypical prima donna receiver ever) Marshall has never been a problem in the locker room or with the media. His “reasons” for seeking a trade now (and earning his way into this debate) are shaky. In other words, no one in the world believes that Marshall is demanding a pay raise and lacks confidence in the Broncos medical staff. Marshall is simply in an advantageous situation that his agent is trying to make the most of.
Former Denver quarterback Jay Cutler managed to force his way out of town by expressing his extreme displeasure with the new coach and dramatically changed situation. In that state of organizational tumult, Brandon Marshall’s agent, Kennard McGuire, sees an opportunity. McGuire has a roster of clients that includes, among others, Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Rogers is a player who voiced some concerns this off-season about whether the new coaching staff in Cleveland wanted him around, even threatening to seek a trade because he was snubbed at a cocktail party. The obvious conclusion here is that McGuire has a vested interest in creating a situation where he is able to circumvent free agency and team ownership rights. Why would an agent want to do this? To make more money and gain leverage on the league. My point is that it’s not at all fair to judge Marshall as a prima donna when he’s nothing more than a pawn in a highly complex game of chess.
If McGuire is able to pull this trade off and find a situation where a team is able to make the worthwhile sacrifice to bring in Marshall’s talent, they’ll be a contender – immediately and for years to come. Not only will they have a #1 receiving threat with his best years ahead of him (unlike Burress), they will be able to create a more wide-open and balanced offense, and they’ll also have a player who is not the prima donna the media has made him out to be. Win-win-win.
