Brandon Marshall Trade Unlikely For Baltimore Ravens

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears aren’t just lulling over the future of Jay Cutler at the moment, they are also trying to decide what to do with their former number one wide receiver, Brandon Marshall. After rumors were swirling of a potential divorce recently, many people were playing connect the dots between Marshall and his former head coach, Marc Trestman, who happens to be the Ravens’ offensive coordinator now.

Now, the Chicago Tribune has reported that the Bears will work on a Brandon Marshall trade before March 12th, which is the day his $7.5 million dollar base salary becomes guaranteed. The 30 year old recorded his worst statistical season in 2015 since his rookie year, but battled injuries throughout the year. Even though Alshon Jeffery took over as the Bear’s number one guy, Marshall still recorded 61 grabs for 721 yards and 8 touchdowns across 13 games.

The Bears were also reportedly growing tired of Brandon Marshall, who moonlighted as a host on Showtime’s Inside the NFL program last year. Adding more fuel to the fire, John Harbaugh reportedly told Marshall that he wouldn’t mind if he continued to host the show if he happened to play for the Ravens. For a guy who has dominated on the field across 9 seasons, who cares if he wants to host a TV show on his day off each week?

According to the Tribune, a mid round pick is all it would take for a team to take Brandon Marshall off the Bears’ hands. That’s a pretty cheap price for a guy who probably has a couple of productive years left in him, so long as he can put last season’s nagging injuries behind him. The problem is, the Ravens don’t typically come off draft picks very easily. Ozzie Newsome covets them, except in rare instances like the Eugene Monroe trade. And in that case he got a huge bargain.

Would Marshall be worth a 3rd or 4th round pick? Without a doubt, I would say yes. He would plug a huge hole for the team for at least one or two years, much like Andre Johnson. Marshall is very familiar with Marc Trestman and dominated under his tutelage in 2013, when he racked up 100 receptions for 1295 yards and 12 touchdowns. He would have probably crested the 1,000 yard mark last year had he not missed three games with injury.

Much depends on what happens with Johnson. If the Texans release him outright, which seems likely, the Ravens would have a tough choice on their hands if another team doesn’t jump in and overpay. The same goes for Marshall. You have to think that the team would be very interested in either of these guys. Signing one or the other would take a ton of pressure off Steve Smith, who figures to be in for a hard time in 2015 if he is the de facto number one receiver.

Another team might decide to pull the trigger and swap a mid round pick for Marshall, especially since his contract isn’t quite as bloated as Johnson’s. They are both similar players, though Johnson is older (33) and comes without the requisite baggage. I would personally be happy with either guy. The Ravens would fill a major need and could still draft a young receiver who could then develop under the tutelage of two great veteran receivers. And that’s a true win/win.

Next: Andre Johnson a great fit for the Ravens

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