By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/12/2009 10:00:34 AM MDT
Updated: 06/12/2009 07:05:14 PM MDT
The Denver Broncos' Brandon Marshall, dejected on the bench against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Invesco Field at Mile High in October, 2008. (THE DENVER POST | ANDY CROSS)Absent from the start of mandatory minicamp this morning, Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall met with team owner Pat Bowlen this afternoon at 2 p.m., then left the property at 3:15 p.m. Coach Josh McDaniels said after minicamp practice that he planned to meet with Marshall.
"It's something we're going to handle and take care of it in-house," McDaniels said after practice. "I've been through a number of these situations. Whether it does or doesn't get fixed, that's something that's going to play out in the future. But we're going to coach the guys that are here the best we can. When he's ready to go and we get him out here, we'll get him out here."
Marshall was dressed in black shorts and a black T-shirt and loaded three boxes into his car upon his departure. He declined to comment to reporters as he chatted on his cell phone.
When the Broncos went through a similar ordeal with then-disgruntled quarterback Jay Cutler, such meetings included owner Pat Bowlen, chief operating officer Joe Ellis, general manager Brian Xanders and McDaniels.
Marshall is recovering from hip surgery so he would not be able to participate in the offseason workouts, anyway. But he has sent a message to the team he is unhappy with his contract by first transferring his rehab three weeks ago to Orlando, Fla. while the rest of the team was participating in the "voluntary" minicamps, and then not reporting for the 8:30 a.m. meeting today that was to start the team's three-day "mandatory" minicamp.
"That's a personal decision that Brandon has made, and we'll do what the league rules allow us to do for a player that has missed a mandatory activity," McDaniels said. "The rest of that is really internal. I've spoken to him and his agent and that's a decision that he's made."
Marshall is in the final year of a four-year contract that will pay him $2.198 million this season. Marshall believes he's worth more after recording 100-plus catches in each of the past two seasons, and 58 receivers made more than $2.2 million in salary and bonuses last season.
Marshall has also cited a lack of trust in the Broncos' medical care as a reason for not wanting to rehab at the team's headquarters.
The Broncos have reason to consider Marshall an investment risk. The team might want to first see how he recovers from his hip surgery. He also has been involved in numerous off-field legal issues to the point where another infraction could leave him vulnerable to a long-term suspension under the league's personal conduct policy.
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