Thread: Marshall coming to training camp! (possibly)

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns
By Sean Jensen, Special to Yahoo! Sports 17 minutes ago

MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Marshall(notes) is unwilling to talk about what jersey he wants to wear in the fall. However, he’s made it clear that whatever uniform he dons, he expects to suit up in great shape.

“All I can do is get up every day and beat my body up, and that’s the truth,” the Denver Broncos wideout said during an exclusive interview after a workout on Friday at the University of Minnesota with fellow Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald(notes). “At the end of the day, I’m going to be playing football, and, if I’m going to be out there, I got to be in the best shape I can be in.”

Neither Marshall, who requested a trade from the Broncos during a meeting with owner Pat Bowlen last month, nor his agent Kennard McGuire would comment on the status of the request.

“I ain’t worrying about that right now,” Marshall said, “and I ain’t going to talk about that.”

Marshall, a 2006 fourth-round NFL draft pick who earned $1.5 million in each of his first three seasons, reportedly wants an upgrade to a contract that is set to pay him $2.2 million in 2009. In addition to salary concerns, Marshall is believed to be bothered by the departure of Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler(notes), who was traded to the Chicago Bears, and the team’s medical staff.

In a May blog post, Marshall said he got two MRIs on his hip and was told that nothing was wrong.

“But come to find out THERE WAS A BIT OF A PROBLEM after all,” Marshall wrote on his blog.

Asked if he plans to report to the team’s training camp on July 30, Marshall said, “Well, I’m under contract with the Broncos.”

Marshall, hoping not to become a distraction to his teammates (“You don’t ever want to be that,” he said), focused many of his answers on his immediate goal: closing a tangible gap with Fitzgerald.After their full morning workout on Friday, the players ran 16, 110-yard dashes. Marshall didn’t like the view.

“The main thing I’m taking back to Orlando with me is that I’m 20 yards behind Fitzgerald,” Marshall said. “We ended [Fri]day with 110s, and I was 20 yards behind him.”

How many times?

“On all of them,” Marshall matter-of-factly said. “It showed me how far behind I am from the best.”

Marshall didn’t mention that he had hip surgery on April 1. Instead, Fitzgerald later pointed that out in a separate interview.

“Well, I’ve been doing this for a while,” Fitzgerald said of the conditioning drills, “and he just got back from major surgery not too long ago.

“He’s an incredible specimen. It won’t take long for him to recover.”

The injury could be one of several concerns the Broncos have about rewarding Marshall with a lucrative contract. Despite back-to-back 100-catch seasons, Marshall has been on police blotters on several occasions, most recently in March, when he was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after allegedly being in a fight with his fiancée (the charges were dropped).

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with him and Denver. But, I just hope if he is traded or isn’t trade, I just want him to be happy,” said Fitzgerald, who struck up a friendship with Marshall through former NFL star and onetime Yahoo! Sports analyst Cris Carter. “I want to see him have success, whether that’s in Denver or [somewhere else]. I just want to see him have success, because he puts in the work.”

Marshall said he enjoyed sharing insights with receivers like Fitzgerald and the Green Bay Packers’ Greg Jennings(notes). But the highlight of his week was on Wednesday, when he worked out with Jerry Rice(notes).

“I had never gotten the chance to meet the G.O.A.T. [Greatest of All Time] before,” Marshall said. “It’s inspiring, to see how old he is, and how he’s still got it.”

If he remains a Bronco this season, Marshall will have to adjust to a new quarterback. In addition to acquiring draft picks for Cutler, the Broncos also got veteran quarterback Kyle Orton(notes).

Marshall was nothing but diplomatic in his comments about the team’s new quarterbacks, Orton and Chris Simms(notes), and he downplayed the departure of Cutler.

“With this game, as far as the NFL, it’s about change,” Marshall said. “You see that all the time. People come in and go out. It’s one of those things you have to deal with it and move on. You can’t get caught up in the past.

“You just got to do your best, to control what you can control.”

Right now, Marshall’s focus is on getting into shape so he can avoid being what he called a “so-so” player.

“Football is exciting. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing with the best or you’re playing with average guys, or a bad team,” Marshall said. “Football is always the same. Every time Sunday comes around, you’re going to be pumped up.

“Just to have an opportunity to play ball is exciting.”

If he has any matter whatsoever in his pea-sized brain he will come to camp. I think the Broncos have made it clear that they have no intentions of trading him unless someone blows them away with an offer which doesn't appear likely at all. At this point, he really has no choice but to come to camp.

lets just get brandon, knowshon and ayers in camp on time. Then Mcdaniels journey from the dark side will be complete.

Billy B has taught him well.

I still think missing the mini-camp was a warning shot across the bow, just a way to prove he was serious in his discontent. He HAS to know he has no leverage, as does his agent. I know a lot of agents misjudge situations or flat-out lie (see Rosenhaus, Drew) but for the most part, there's a certain level of gamesmanship and a certain level of realism that has to come with the package.

If Marshall's not at training camp I will be shocked. I expect Brandon to play for us this year, work his way back into health, and then get traded after the season to a team that will give him the dollars his performance warrants.

But I do expect him to suit up and play this season for Denver, which is only good for us, and whichever QB is behind center.

~G

Originally Posted by G_Money

I still think missing the mini-camp was a warning shot across the bow, just a way to prove he was serious in his discontent. He HAS to know he has no leverage, as does his agent. I know a lot of agents misjudge situations or flat-out lie (see Rosenhaus, Drew) but for the most part, there's a certain level of gamesmanship and a certain level of realism that has to come with the package.

If Marshall's not at training camp I will be shocked. I expect Brandon to play for us this year, work his way back into health, and then get traded after the season to a team that will give him the dollars his performance warrants.

But I do expect him to suit up and play this season for Denver, which is only good for us, and whichever QB is behind center.

~G

Why would we trade him after the season G?


Bowlen has already said that if Brandon shows up and plays this year that he will get his big fat contract right here in Denver. Thats what Brandon wants. And so does bowlen and Mcd. Why would we want to trade him?

I am sure we will offer brandon a lot-unless bowlen forgets that he already told him this.

If Brandon does play the whole year at his normal level and manages to stay out of trouble, Bowlen would be a moron not to give him an extension unless someone just makes a Herschel Walker type of deal for him.

Originally Posted by underrated29

Why would we trade him after the season G?


Bowlen has already said that if Brandon shows up and plays this year that he will get his big fat contract right here in Denver. Thats what Brandon wants. And so does bowlen and Mcd. Why would we want to trade him?

I am sure we will offer brandon a lot-unless bowlen forgets that he already told him this.

The situation with Brandon will hopefully be better next season in that Brandon will have proven his health. He will not have conclusively proven his good citizenship, and anybody who signs him to big dollars will have to live with the idea of losing him for 8 or more games at his next stupid action in his personal life.

And whether or not we want to offer Brandon money, he's under no compunction to take it from us. He'll be an RFA. We'd get draftpicks, but we have no say on forcing him to sign with us (unless the CBA is completely defeating my understanding).

If he remains pissed about his "unfair treatment" and we hold to our no-primadonna-players mantra, I can't guarantee we'd offer him the contract he wants anyway.

I don't see him here long-term. Maybe I'll be wrong about that too. But if I'm not, it might behoove us to trade him if the trade market offers more than the 1st-and-3rd tender we'll lay on him as an RFA.

Regardless of what goes down next year, I hope he regains full health this year and is a beast again - hopefully with better hands and renewed lower body strength.

~G

Kinda of a sidetrack question here. And i am sure i am mixing and matching items but.....

travis henry got the suspension and was 1 more baby...I mean drug instance away from a year suspension. However, if he kept his nose clean for 1 year, or whatever the time frame the year long suspension was over and basically he started over from the beginnning.

Why does brandon not get that same rule, or does he?

So if brandon stays clean and goes a year without getting in trouble, then he gets his slate wiped clean (if this is the same scenario as henry). If he messes up again, after the 1 year, would it not then be a warning or 1 game suspension?



Anyone care to help with this, or agree, disagree etc.

Originally Posted by underrated29

Kinda of a sidetrack question here. And i am sure i am mixing and matching items but.....

travis henry got the suspension and was 1 more baby...I mean drug instance away from a year suspension. However, if he kept his nose clean for 1 year, or whatever the time frame the year long suspension was over and basically he started over from the beginnning.

Why does brandon not get that same rule, or does he?

So if brandon stays clean and goes a year without getting in trouble, then he gets his slate wiped clean (if this is the same scenario as henry). If he messes up again, after the 1 year, would it not then be a warning or 1 game suspension?



Anyone care to help with this, or agree, disagree etc.

Honestly, I have no clue what Goodell will do next.

It seems like Marshall might have just used his hold out at the mandatory mini camp as a message. It seems that either he or his agent is smart enough to know that his only option is to report to training camp. This is good news for the Broncos.

Originally Posted by underrated29

Kinda of a sidetrack question here. And i am sure i am mixing and matching items but.....

travis henry got the suspension and was 1 more baby...I mean drug instance away from a year suspension. However, if he kept his nose clean for 1 year, or whatever the time frame the year long suspension was over and basically he started over from the beginnning.

Why does brandon not get that same rule, or does he?

So if brandon stays clean and goes a year without getting in trouble, then he gets his slate wiped clean (if this is the same scenario as henry). If he messes up again, after the 1 year, would it not then be a warning or 1 game suspension?



Anyone care to help with this, or agree, disagree etc.

henry was in the substance abuse program, which carries specific guidlines. . . . as i understand it, the league's personal conduct policy falls under goodell's discretion. . .

“All I can do is get up every day and beat my body up, and that’s the truth,” the Denver Broncos wideout said during an exclusive interview

as long as YOUR body is the only one you're beating up (short of going through the TV again), then we're in good shape. . .

I didn't know where to post this but

http://www.jocklife.com/news/nfl/bal...ment-nfl-27464

Ravens WR Derrick Mason just retired. I think they will make a hard push for Marshall.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/spor...n_retires.html

Yep. He did.

The situation with Marshall, however, has gone far enough (training camp just about to start) that any team would have to make the deal seriously lob-sided to make Bowlen and McD consider a trade trade.

eg: young probowl talent WITHOUT the baggage for Marshal

They better not. I want marshall here!

Only would i accept- ngata and a 2nd or 3rd for brandon at this point since he is about to report.

shiiiiit! i'd give them a second if we could trade marshall for ngata! ain't happenin' though. . . .