Broncos WR Brandon Marshall Signs Tender, Opens Door For Trade

As a restricted free agent, Broncos WR Brandon Marshall was tendered at the first round level instead of the first and third round level. The difference in money was minor so this prompted a lot of folks to think he might be signed to an offer sheet and shipped out of town.

That specific scenario won't happen as Marshall signed his tender today, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

However, this now means that he is officially under contract and the Broncos can trade him for whatever price they want.

The Seahawks were reportedly interested -- even bringing him in for a visit at one point -- but, at the time, they would've been required to relinquish the sixth overall pick to acquire his rights and that seemed unlikely from the start. Now that the tender is signed, real negotiations can begin.

The Broncos reportedly have been looking for a first round pick and the Seahawks have two -- the sixth and 14th.

Unless Dez Bryant is a target, it's hard to see another receiver coming out of this draft as talented as Marshall.

Marshall hasn't been in the Broncos good graces for quite some time. He was benched in the season finale against the Chiefs -- a game that had playoff implications so it's become clear that the Broncos would be willing to move on without him if the price is right.

Trading for Marshall isn't as easy as it seems. There are quite a few factors involved.

He's previously drawn the ire of the Commissioner's office so another screw-up and the punishment (i.e. suspension) would be even more severe.

He's also looking for a new contract. As arguably one of the top five receivers in the game, he could command anywhere from $8-10 million per year, which is a hefty price for someone that comes with baggage.

SB Nation's Broncos community, Mile High Report, has an excellent roundup of the Marshall situation as well as a tidbit on how Dez Bryant may work into their plans if a trade indeed goes down.