When he said goodbye to the fans on his personal website after meeting with Bowlen a couple of months ago, he meant it. His mind was made up then and nothing that has gone on since in anyway suggests that anything has changed. He was sincere when he stated he was in camp only to avoid fines. He was straight forward when he admitted not knowing the playbook, which he didn’t study because he knew he would never use the info.

Bowlen also meant it when at their meeting he promised The Broncos would try to accommodate Marshall’s wishes for a trade. The only reason the trade hasn’t happened is because nobody is willing to risk worthwhile players or picks for someone with Marshall’s baggage of questionable injury status, recurring legal problems and rotten attitude. If a halfway decent trade could have been arranged, Marshall would be long gone.

Bloggers keep harping on how he should be given a big contract loaded with conditions. What if this has been offered and turned down by Marshall? To take this thought further (bear with me for a short sidetrack here: Following an accident I had to have a couple of plates screwed into my hip, the doctors advised to be REALLY careful with the rehab as fixing the damage was one thing but if the screws were wrenched out and the bone shattered further, the second time around would be exponentially more difficult.)

A lot of people have been suggesting Marshall should just stay out of trouble this year and play hard (he is after all slated to make over 2 mill, which is more than he has been making the first three years combined). It has been suggested he would then get the big contract he feels is warranted either with The Broncos or somewhere else. Marshall’s injury may have been far less severe than mine and, of course, HE is a top athlete but what if Marshall knows or suspects he may be unable to return to his previous form?

Is it not possible that he is smarter than we think (it wouldn’t take much)? Is it not possible the he is unwilling to take the gamble it would be to have to prove himself this coming year? 2.1 million dollars is a lot of money, but it isn’t going to last him the rest of his life. It is quite possible that the only way he can count on football for his retirement is if he can secure a contract with a huge signing bonus, lots of guaranteed money and zero performance asterisks. I doubt any NFL team is ready to grant him that.

If cut by The Broncos someone else is going to snatch him up but while McGeorge calls the prediction of cutting him “naive,” Denver would be ill advised to hold on to this guy for the mere reason of keeping someone else from getting him. Marshall will be very pleased to be cut, of course, but he is in for a huge reality check if he thinks it is automatically going to lead him to the guaranteed dollar bonanza he is seeking.