Broncos don't need the distraction

Beyond the situation surrounding Broncos WR Brandon Marshall and his request for a trade are the ramifications it could have in the 2009 season for Denver — as a team.

This morning, our own Michael Lombardi did an excellent job outlining the parameters of the dilemma in Denver as well as explaining the kind of talent Marshall is on the field. He’s a big, fast and explosive football player.

From my vantage point — as an ex-player — the concerns are for the locker room. Lombardi was dead on when he compared Marshall to the circus that has brewed all offseason (and is still going) out in Arizona with WR Anquan Boldin.

APMarshall's trade request is already causing a distraction...in June

Two explosive, big-time wide receivers who want to get paid — or get out of town.

And I get that. I get that players want to be paid what they think their performance warrants. But I also know from my own experience in this league that it can — and will — hinder a team’s ability to succeed on Sundays when personal emotions get caught up in this business, especially when they deal with money in the summer months.

And this is something the Broncos desperately can’t afford in Josh McDaniels’ first season as head coach.

Think about it this way: The Broncos are installing an entire new offense, and they have a new quarterback in Kyle Orton. And McDaniels, the man calling the plays? Well, this is his first go-around as a head man in the league.

The last thing he wanted, or expected, was to meet resistance from the best player on his football team. Does this sound familiar? It has the same feel and personal-based fuel that eventually broke the tie between QB Jay Cutler and this franchise.

The Broncos can’t afford to go down that road again, folks.

But more importantly, what does Marshall see in another city that he doesn’t believe he’ll get in Denver? He’ll be the No. 1 target for Orton without question. He’ll be featured in an offense that can put up ridiculous numbers in the passing game — just ask Matt Cassel how it worked out for him. And he’ll get paid eventually — with big, big dollars if he continues to show the Denver front office that he’s the type of receiver we all believe him to be.

AP

Now, it wouldn’t be fair not to acknowledge that Marshall has off-the-field issues, but as of now, he isn’t facing any discipline from the league. And because of that, he will line up on opening day and continue to be a match-up nightmare for most — if not all — cornerbacks in the NFL.
However, there’s a crucial point for not only Marshall, but the entire team: Denver can’t afford a holdout. It needs to hit the ground running when camp begins this summer. The last thing a new head coach wants is a distraction that will garner headlines and take the focus off what he’s trying to do.

And that’s to build a winning football team that will compete in the AFC West.

As a former player, I know that distractions are brutal for the guys in the locker room. You can’t get through the media without being asked about the major story in town. Plus, the Broncos have already done that -- countless questions this spring about Jay Cutler before and after the trade.
It must have been a pain to sit there and answer questions that you have absolutely zero control over.

But they will start again, and when they do, this team will go down the same path and find itself knee-deep in controversy at training camp — instead of focusing on football.

The Broncos need to put their foot down on this one, in my opinion. They don’t have time to mess around with personal needs from a receiver who will be part of the 53-man roster in September.
It’s time to build that team — and he needs to be a part of it.

Comments

Add a Comment