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View Full Version : Q&A: Frustration leads to benchings



Denver Native (Carol)
01-06-2010, 10:30 PM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14128124

Today's question about the Broncos comes from Dan Murphy:

Q: I'm just wondering about your thoughts on the benching of Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler. Just as the Broncos would seem to need all the offensive weapons they have in a game that will have a impact on their playoff chances this season, Josh McDaniels decides to bench two players with deep-play potential. Marshall's hamstring injury would have made him at least questionable for the regular-season finale against the Chiefs, but both have had their "accountability" questioned by their coach. Do you agree the answer could be that McDaniels has already decided to apply restricted free-agent tenders for each of them, then actively seek a trade, possibly with Washington or elsewhere? Or if no explicit trade is forthcoming, but the players receive offer sheets from other teams, the Broncos could at least reap some worthy draft picks in compensation. The benchings then can be seen in the light of maintaining their trade value by preventing injury. The only flaw with this scenario is that Marshall was supposedly benched for not playing through an injury. How much is there beyond what meets the eye?

A: Dan, I guess my initial thought is it certainly didn't surprise me. The Marshall-McDaniels issues were bubbling all season no matter how many times they hugged on the sideline or people tried to see détente where there really wasn't any.

The two simply understood it was in their best interests to get through the season as best they could. McDaniels got the 100-catch receiver he needed, and Marshall got a chance to play enough to have a shot at a new deal somewhere else, which is what he needed.

It's pro football, everybody doesn't have to like everybody to get the job done. I've seen players who didn't even speak off the field mesh quite nicely on it.

So, despite all that was said and written in many places, it was never going to end with Marshall and McDaniels forgetting all that had happened — that has been my opinion since September.

McDaniels, as a football personnel guy as well, also understood he couldn't continually criticize his receiver if he hoped to be able to trade him at some point. The benching at the end of the season was simply the period at the end of the sentence and really won't have much impact on Marshall's value one way or the other.

The teams that want him are still going to want him, and the teams who believe him to be a risky bet for a big contract are still going to believe that after Sunday's benching.

Marshall wasn't going to play that game anyway. He believed he was hurt and still has hard feelings with the team's medical staff because of his hip injury last year that eventually required surgery.

So that was a lot of the issue. The Broncos were tired of Marshall criticizing the medical staff his desire for a new contract having been front and center all season long, and Marshall simply didn't think he could, or should, play Sunday.

But there's a lot going on there beyond a sore hamstring between two guys who don't see eye to eye. At one point Friday after announcing the benching, McDaniels was asked if Marshall had "done everything you've asked him to do" and McDaniels' response was, "Yeah."

Then Sunday, there were plenty of stories in plenty of places citing "team sources" saying Marshall was late for a treatment and that's why he was benched. But being late for a treatment wouldn't seem to be doing "everything" the team asked him to do.

But either way, Marshall won't be back, and the two aren't going to meet to try to smooth things over. The Broncos will try to trade him or simply tender him a one-year offer and wait for another team to make him a contract offer so they can get the draft compensation in return.

As far as Scheffler, he has worried about his role in the offense since McDaniels was hired, believing that McDaniels has preferred bigger tight ends in his time as an offensive coach. Scheffler and Jay Cutler are also the best of friends and have the same agent — Bus Cook — so don't expect him to be back either.

There is, after all, too much history there between McDaniels and all of those people. Really, can anyone picture Cook and McDaniels sitting down for a long discussion about Scheffler's future with the Broncos?

Cutler and Scheffler talked plenty over the weekend. He has no plans to meet with McDaniels either and believes he will be playing somewhere else.

Scheffler said he was never specifically told by McDaniels why he was being benched, but it was said to be because Scheffler had been overheard by teammates saying he couldn't wait for the season to be over.

So, neither was benched to prevent injury and enhance his trade value, they were benched because a season's worth of frustration on all sides of a lot of issues finally boiled over.

e-Lou-sive1
01-07-2010, 09:58 AM
Is getting rid of Marshall and Scheffler the answer to McD dealing with players who question his authority and how many more quality players will be affected by this?The only people McD hurt were the fans and the teams outside chances of making the playoffs all for the sake of trying to prove a point that he's in charge.Does McD think that he has proven himself by being an assistant coach under Bellichik and he knows how to run an organization ?We have already lost Cutler now in jeopardy of losing Marshall and Scheffler all good players who can do well on any team given the right support.McD is the villain in this scenario coming in and destroying a proud franchise with personnel that are at Pro bowl level but don't fit his system of coaching.It's his first year as coach and he wants the fans to understand that he is still learning yet he won't give his players the same opportunity and allow them to make mistakes.I undestand rebuilding the defense and running game,special teams but there was nothing wrong with the QB or receivers.What will take him the length of his contract to either repair or destroy will take that much longer for someone to rebuild maybe Bowlen should throw Cowhers name out there to let McD know that he shouldn't get too comfortable.

weazel
01-07-2010, 11:41 AM
Is getting rid of Marshall and Scheffler the answer to McD dealing with players who question his authority and how many more quality players will be affected by this?The only people McD hurt were the fans and the teams outside chances of making the playoffs all for the sake of trying to prove a point that he's in charge.Does McD think that he has proven himself by being an assistant coach under Bellichik and he knows how to run an organization ?We have already lost Cutler now in jeopardy of losing Marshall and Scheffler all good players who can do well on any team given the right support.McD is the villain in this scenario coming in and destroying a proud franchise with personnel that are at Pro bowl level but don't fit his system of coaching.It's his first year as coach and he wants the fans to understand that he is still learning yet he won't give his players the same opportunity and allow them to make mistakes.I undestand rebuilding the defense and running game,special teams but there was nothing wrong with the QB or receivers.What will take him the length of his contract to either repair or destroy will take that much longer for someone to rebuild maybe Bowlen should throw Cowhers name out there to let McD know that he shouldn't get too comfortable.

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