Brandon Marshall: “I Didn’t Have A Ton Of Options”

Brandon Marshall finally landed a contract for the 2018 season earlier this week, inking a one-year pact with the Seahawks. But Marshall himself admits there weren’t many suitors for his services during the free agent period.

“I didn’t have a ton of options,” Marshall said Wednesday, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “I think the sentiment around the league is that I’m done, and I get it. Rightfully so. When you get on the other side of 30 and your production slips and you have a big injury, people just count you out. So it was an interesting process. It was a humbling process, to say the least.

There were some really tough days that I had to push through, mentally and physically, so for this to be an opportunity and come to [fruition], you can’t ask for a better situation. You’ve got probably a top-three quarterback, you’ve got one the best franchises, you’ve got a young nucleus, guys that are hungry and ready to compete.”

It’s perhaps unsurprising Marshall had to wait until late May to find a new contract after being released by the Giants in April. Not only is Marshall entering his age-34 campaign, but he hasn’t been productive since the 2015 season, when he posted 109 receptions, 1,502 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns for the Jets. Injuries have limited his effectiveness and overall production, and Marshall appeared in only five games a year ago before going on injured reserve with a ankle injury.

The details of Marshall’s contract with Seattle also reinforce the lack of interest in the veteran wideout. Marshall received just $90K in guarantees, but his new deal is not a minimum salary benefit pact because it contains incentives. While Marshall can collect a maximum salary of $2.155MM in 2018, he’d have to top 70 receptions, 800 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns to do so.

Those numbers aren’t completely out of the question: if Marshall has anything left, he could quickly vault up a Seahawks wide receiver depth chart that doesn’t offer much competition. Doug Baldwin will assume his usual role with heavy usage in the slot, but Marshall could overtake the likes of Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown, and Amara Darboh, among others.

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