T.K.O.
07-01-2009, 01:06 PM
Should Swap Boldin, Marshall by Seth Doria (Analyst)
11 84 reads
Opinion
July 01, 2009
Normally, talking about disgruntled NFL receivers goes right up there with a Bill Belichick press conference on the originality scale. There’s just been so much said and written and blathered about that it’s just not fun anymore.
But watching the latest news tidbit on Brandon Marshall on Tuesday (reportedly told a cop he hated Denver during a 2007 traffic stop), I had a thought:
Brandon Marshall for Anquan Boldin.
That could work.
Both are Pro Bowl receivers (Boldin three, Marshall one). Both have multiple 100-plus reception seasons. Both have multiple 1200-yard receiving seasons.
The trade would allow both teams to come out on the other side having ditched out on their own disgruntled player while not losing any on-field talent. That’s an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish (see the Broncos’ trade of Jay Cutler to Chicago), and the primary reason why both guys are still stuck in unhappy situations.
There are a few factors that could tilt the scales one way or the other, but they even out when considered in aggregate.
Boldin is 28 (29 in October) and Marshall turned 25 in March. Also, Boldin has only played the full schedule twice in his six seasons, missing a combined 16 games.
Marshall has only missed two games in his three-year career, and the one he missed over the last two seasons was due to a suspension, not injury.
Author Poll
Who would you rather have?
Anquan Boldin Brandon Marshall vote to see results Those are both factors in favor of Marshall.
But—and this is a biggie in today’s NFL—Boldin has a clean record.
Marshall, on the other hand, already has the aforementioned suspension on his record. He’s been arrested/cited somewhere between three and 300 times since entering the league and is just one small slip-up away from feeling the full wrath of Commissioner Goodell.
That’s a plus for Boldin.
Think about this from the teams’ perspective.
Denver gets rid of Marshall, a total pain in the ass who will likely ditch out after a year anyway. Instead, they get one of the toughest wide receivers in the league, a guy who still showed up and gave it everything he had despite a two-year-running conflict over his contract (no small thing).
And unlike replacing Cutler with Kyle Orton, the Broncos can actually sell this to their fans as an improvement in on-field talent. Boldin and Eddie Royal would still be one of the best WR duos in the AFC, and definitely the best in the AFC West.
Arizona, meanwhile, gets to end its ongoing drama regarding Boldin’s contract and replace him with Marshall, an absolute beast on the field with seven 100-plus receiving yard games over the past two seasons (Boldin has five).
And can you imagine being an NFC West defensive coordinator facing a trio of Larry Fitzgerald, Marshall and Steve Breaston? That’s arguably scarier than Fitzgerald-Boldin-Breaston, if only because Marshall is a little bit more flexible in stretching the field than is Boldin.
Would this trade ever happen? Probably not. Like so many “what-ifs” during the NFL offseason (or any other league’s offseason), chances are fairly high this goes nowhere. Why take a chance when you can do nothing instead?
So Marshall is likely destined to be a malcontent in Denver, waiting to get franchised next season, then hold out.
Then he'll get hurt (hamstring, quad or something like that), and finally hit free agency, get paid big by Al Davis, then get robbed, beat up and left unconscious in an alleyway after spraying champagne on unhappy patrons at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas (That was a Javon Walker reference if you didn’t recognize it).
And Boldin will likely finally get a new deal with Arizona, then get unceremoniously traded or released in three years after injuries slow him down just enough to no longer force the defense to respect his deep ability (think Torry Holt, except Boldin actually accepts contact rather than falling down like a soccer player).
But maybe working with Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner actually settles down Marshall, and instead of Javon Walker, he becomes a modern-day Cris Carter.
And maybe playing in Josh McDaniels’ system prolongs Boldin’s health (worked for 32-year-old Randy Moss) and he goes on to be the best Broncos receiver since Rod Smith.
Maybe.
We’ll see.
Author Poll
Who would you rather have?
Anquan Boldin
Brandon Marshall
vote to see results
Author Poll Results
Who would you rather have?
Anquan Boldin
71.4%
Brandon Marshall
28.6%
Total votes: 14
Rate This Article
11 84 reads
Opinion
July 01, 2009
Normally, talking about disgruntled NFL receivers goes right up there with a Bill Belichick press conference on the originality scale. There’s just been so much said and written and blathered about that it’s just not fun anymore.
But watching the latest news tidbit on Brandon Marshall on Tuesday (reportedly told a cop he hated Denver during a 2007 traffic stop), I had a thought:
Brandon Marshall for Anquan Boldin.
That could work.
Both are Pro Bowl receivers (Boldin three, Marshall one). Both have multiple 100-plus reception seasons. Both have multiple 1200-yard receiving seasons.
The trade would allow both teams to come out on the other side having ditched out on their own disgruntled player while not losing any on-field talent. That’s an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish (see the Broncos’ trade of Jay Cutler to Chicago), and the primary reason why both guys are still stuck in unhappy situations.
There are a few factors that could tilt the scales one way or the other, but they even out when considered in aggregate.
Boldin is 28 (29 in October) and Marshall turned 25 in March. Also, Boldin has only played the full schedule twice in his six seasons, missing a combined 16 games.
Marshall has only missed two games in his three-year career, and the one he missed over the last two seasons was due to a suspension, not injury.
Author Poll
Who would you rather have?
Anquan Boldin Brandon Marshall vote to see results Those are both factors in favor of Marshall.
But—and this is a biggie in today’s NFL—Boldin has a clean record.
Marshall, on the other hand, already has the aforementioned suspension on his record. He’s been arrested/cited somewhere between three and 300 times since entering the league and is just one small slip-up away from feeling the full wrath of Commissioner Goodell.
That’s a plus for Boldin.
Think about this from the teams’ perspective.
Denver gets rid of Marshall, a total pain in the ass who will likely ditch out after a year anyway. Instead, they get one of the toughest wide receivers in the league, a guy who still showed up and gave it everything he had despite a two-year-running conflict over his contract (no small thing).
And unlike replacing Cutler with Kyle Orton, the Broncos can actually sell this to their fans as an improvement in on-field talent. Boldin and Eddie Royal would still be one of the best WR duos in the AFC, and definitely the best in the AFC West.
Arizona, meanwhile, gets to end its ongoing drama regarding Boldin’s contract and replace him with Marshall, an absolute beast on the field with seven 100-plus receiving yard games over the past two seasons (Boldin has five).
And can you imagine being an NFC West defensive coordinator facing a trio of Larry Fitzgerald, Marshall and Steve Breaston? That’s arguably scarier than Fitzgerald-Boldin-Breaston, if only because Marshall is a little bit more flexible in stretching the field than is Boldin.
Would this trade ever happen? Probably not. Like so many “what-ifs” during the NFL offseason (or any other league’s offseason), chances are fairly high this goes nowhere. Why take a chance when you can do nothing instead?
So Marshall is likely destined to be a malcontent in Denver, waiting to get franchised next season, then hold out.
Then he'll get hurt (hamstring, quad or something like that), and finally hit free agency, get paid big by Al Davis, then get robbed, beat up and left unconscious in an alleyway after spraying champagne on unhappy patrons at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas (That was a Javon Walker reference if you didn’t recognize it).
And Boldin will likely finally get a new deal with Arizona, then get unceremoniously traded or released in three years after injuries slow him down just enough to no longer force the defense to respect his deep ability (think Torry Holt, except Boldin actually accepts contact rather than falling down like a soccer player).
But maybe working with Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner actually settles down Marshall, and instead of Javon Walker, he becomes a modern-day Cris Carter.
And maybe playing in Josh McDaniels’ system prolongs Boldin’s health (worked for 32-year-old Randy Moss) and he goes on to be the best Broncos receiver since Rod Smith.
Maybe.
We’ll see.
Author Poll
Who would you rather have?
Anquan Boldin
Brandon Marshall
vote to see results
Author Poll Results
Who would you rather have?
Anquan Boldin
71.4%
Brandon Marshall
28.6%
Total votes: 14
Rate This Article