Receiver's agent comes to team seeking new contract and leaves without it
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Posted: 08/17/2009 08:26:04 PM MDT
Updated: 08/18/2009 01:39:15 AM MDT
That didn't take long.
On the first business day after Brandon Marshall was exonerated of battery charges following a trial Friday in Atlanta, his agent, Kennard McGuire, walked into Broncos headquarters at Dove Valley between training camp workout sessions Monday.
Two NFL sources said McGuire sought out Broncos management to get a feel for the team's position on giving Marshall a contract extension. The Broncos told McGuire that at this time they were not willing to rework the wide receiver's deal, which has one year and $2.2 million remaining.
Marshall then reiterated his trade demand that he first issued in June. The Broncos again told Marshall on Monday that they would not trade him.
Amid this contract disagreement was another issue that caused Broncos chief operating officer Joe Ellis to personally apologize to Marshall. A teammate had told Marshall that a member of the Broncos' public relations staff was telling players after their preseason game Friday night what to say if they were asked about Marshall's acquittal. According to one source, the players were told: "Don't say you're happy for Brandon. Say it's good for the organization that this is behind us."
Marshall, believing the PR staffer was getting a directive from a superior, met with Ellis on Monday. Accompanying the receiver was Harvey Steinberg, the lawyer who represented Marshall at his trial.
Ellis apologized to Marshall during the meeting. A team source said the PR staffer was independently offering the advice.
And so it goes with the Broncos and their young stars at Dove Valley.
Marshall was excused from the evening practice Monday — when not injured, he has been on a one-a-day camp schedule — and McGuire left the team's headquarters without comment around 6:40 p.m.
Despite issuing his trade request, Marshall is not planning a contract holdout, in part because he doesn't want to pay a daily fine of $15,888. He is expected to participate in the team's practice this afternoon.
A big reason the Broncos are pausing at revisiting Marshall's contract is collective bargaining rules would allow the team to recoup only a small portion of any guarantee through a "morals clause."
Because he has been previously suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, Marshall could be subject to a lengthy suspension with another off-field incident.
The Broncos would not have to pay Marshall any game checks for the length of his suspension, but the bulk of the money in football contracts is written into bonuses.
Let's use Roddy White as an example, as Marshall probably is. During his trip to Atlanta last week, Marshall spoke with White, the Atlanta Falcons' top receiver who recently received a six-year extension with an $18.6 million guarantee.
White recorded a combined 2,584 yards and 13 touchdowns the past two years while in that same period Marshall had 2,590 yards and 13 touchdowns.
If the Broncos gave Marshall a similar $18.6 million guarantee, they could use the morals clause to recover only $775,000 (25 percent of the prorated bonus in the particular year of his suspension).
As for trading Marshall, his off-field issues, offseason hip surgery and desires for a new contract figure to make it difficult for the Broncos to receive fair value in return.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com