Brandon Marshall (LB) - Pro Football Rumors

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Charles

April 16th, 2016 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Unlike C.J. Anderson, the Broncos placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent Brandon Marshall. The emerging inside linebacker has not yet signed the $2.55MM tender and is unsure he’ll attend the Broncos’ offseason workouts that begin Monday, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports.

The fifth-year ‘backer doesn’t have a lot of leverage in this case, and his situation is similar to Tashaun Gipson‘s with the Browns last year. After June 15, the Broncos can withdraw the tender and pay Marshall 110% of his 2015 salary, which was $585K. The Broncos currently carry just more than $8.2MM worth of cap space.

With the champions preoccupied in negotiating an extension for confirmed workout-skipper Von Miller and making a potential deal for a starting quarterback, it’s unlikely Marshall sees a long-term contract offer before that mid-June date. Gipson reported to the Browns before his former team could withdraw that tender last June.

Here are some notes from some of the league’s western contingent, beginning with another starter from the Super Bowl champions’ No. 1 defense.

The Broncos have also yet to make a decision regarding Sylvester Williams‘ fifth-year option and have until May 2 to do so. “No, I haven’t heard anything about it — still waiting,” the fourth-year defensive tackle told Renck. “Either way this will be my best year yet!” Given the starting nose job after Denver elected not to retain Terrance Knighton, Williams played better in 2015 than he did in ’14, grading out as a middle-of-the-pack performer, according to Pro Football Focus. It would cost the Broncos $6.7MM to pick up Williams’ option, and as of now, no pure 3-4 nose is set to earn close to that amount in 2017. Brandon Mebane‘s $4.5MM salary with the Chargers is the highest at this spot currently on a team’s 2017 projected books. Williams will turn 28 this season, but significant cap relief stands to come the Broncos’ way after this season — no team has more projected space than Denver’s $80MM+ in 2017 — so the team could probably manage Williams’ option should it choose to exercise it now.
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer wrote a letter to the Chargers asking some difficult questions centering around the team’s downtown stadium proposal, Dan McSwain of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Faulconer told the newspaper he sent the letter, on which the Chargers declined to comment, after meeting with members of the hotel industry. One of the centerpieces to the Chargers’ stadium proposal involves a hotel tax hike. Much of the mayor’s queries also involved the design of the stadium/convention center project, McSwain reports.
Rehabbing from his second torn ACL in five years, Jamaal Charles carries about the only contract that the Chiefs can shed in the next two years that will save them big money. Kansas City extending both Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware also secures the team’s backups who filled in for Charles last season, and Adam Teicher of ESPN.com wonders if now is the best time to trade the 29-year-old Charles. Teicher argues the two-time All-Pro’s value will never be higher going forward, with the dynamic ball-carrier turning 30 in December, and the fact the Chiefs don’t have a third-round pick this year in light of the Jeremy Maclin tampering penalties makes a trade worth discussing. Possessing close to the least amount of cap space currently and, along with scant projected space in 2017, the Chiefs are committed to most of their high-priced talent for the next two years. But Charles has two nonguaranteed years left — at $5.3MM and $7MM, respectively.

Broncos’ Brandon Marshall Seeks Multiyear Deal

March 30th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

Restricted free agent linebacker Brandon Marshall technically remains unsigned, but having received a second-round tender from the Broncos earlier this month, his options are free agency are limited. While Marshall would prefer to sign a multiyear deal, rival teams figure to be unwilling to part with a second-round pick to land him, and there’s no urgency for the Broncos to up their one-year, $2.553MM offer.

According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, Marshall is contemplating the possibility of holding out from Denver’s offseason program in the hopes of gaining some leverage for a long-term extension. Marshall and agent Drew Rosenhaus declined to comment on Klis’ report, but as the 9NEWS scribe points out, as long as the linebacker has yet to sign his tender, the team can’t penalize him for missing spring workouts.

If Marshall were to skip the Broncos’ offseason program, the next date to watch would be June 15th — at that point, the team would have the right to reduce the 26-year-old’s RFA tender to about $644K, and the club’s mandatory mini-camp is expected to take place around that time as well.

A former fifth-round pick, Marshall is a key cog in the Broncos’ defense, starting all 16 games and three postseason contests for the club in 2015. Over the course of the regular season, he totaled 101 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

Marshall’s importance to the Broncos has actually worked against his chances of landing a multiyear contract this offseason. Fellow RFA C.J. Anderson received a low-end tender from Denver, which allowed him to explore the market without any potential compensatory picks attached to him. Anderson ultimately signed a four-year, $18MM offer sheet with the Dolphins, which the Broncos matched.

If Marshall had received a low-end ($1.671MM) tender from the Broncos, a rival suitor would only have had to give up a fifth-round pick to sign him away, but Denver decided not to take that risk, tendering him at the second-round level.

At the time of the move, one report indicated that the Dolphins and Seahawks may have some interest in Marshall. However, I speculated that the second-round tender would diminish his value on the open market, writing that the most probable scenario would involve Marshall playing out the 2016 season on his one-year tender before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017. So far, that continues to look like the most likely outcome, but we’ll see if the threat of a holdout changes anything for the Broncos and their standout linebacker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos To Tender RFA Brandon Marshall

March 7th, 2016 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

As the Broncos attempt to get deals done with bigger-name free agents like Malik Jackson and Brock Osweiler, the team is taking care of one if its restricted free agents. According to ESPN’s Trey Wingo (Twitter link), Denver is placing a second-round RFA tender on linebacker Brandon Marshall.

While he hasn’t made as many headlines as teammates Jackson, Von Miller, and Danny Trevathan this offseason, Marshall is a key cog in the Broncos’ defense, starting all 16 games and three postseason contests for the club this past season. Marshall totaled 101 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

By assigning him a second-round RFA tender worth $2.553MM, the Broncos will assure that if any team signs Marshall to an offer sheet that they choose not to match, they’ll receive a second-round pick as compensation.

Per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, the Dolphins and Seahawks are among the teams expected to have some interest in Marshall. However, I doubt that any club will be willing to part with a second-round pick to sign him, so the most likely scenario is that Marshall plays out the year on his tender before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency next winter.

Here’s more on the Broncos:

Peyton Manning is retiring, but it’s not clear yet whether the Broncos will place him on the reserve/retired list or simply release him. As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk explains, it’s worth keeping an eye on, since Manning could come out of retirement down the road with no roadblocks if Denver cuts him.
According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, the Rams’ brain-trust had mild interest in Manning, but hadn’t yet had a serious internal discussion about him, and likely wouldn’t have guaranteed him a starting job. If the Rams were the only club with any level of interest in Manning, as King suggests, it likely made the quarterback’s retirement decision easier.
For what it’s worth, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that Manning and agent Tom Condon never attempted to determine other teams’ interest in the QB — their deliberations were simply about whether or not to retire.
The Texans are expected to contact Jimmy Sexton, the agent for Brock Osweiler, when the legal tampering period begins today, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Marshall

February 12th, 2016 at 8:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders will aim to bring in another running back this offseason, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Latavius Murray carried the load for Oakland last season, and while the the club’s rushing offense wasn’t great (24th in DVOA), Murray was one of only seven backs league-wide to run for more than 1,000 yards, and he did so behind an offensive line that ranked just 19th in adjusted line yards.

Still, Murray is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so adding another back could help not only during the 2016 season, but in the years after if Murray departs through free agency. The running back market is awash with options, with Matt Forte, Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Chris Ivory among those heading for free agency. Oakland has also been mentioned as a possible destination for the Eagles’ DeMarco Murray in the even that he is released or traded.

Let’s take a look at a few other notes from the AFC West, including more on both the Raiders and the Super Bowl champion Broncos:

“I would definitely love my bank account to grow in these next few months — I would love that,” said Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, discussing his upcoming restricted free agency on the NFL Network today. Marshall will certainly get a raise from the $585K he made last season, but he probably won’t hit the jackpot just yet, as Denver will likely offer him either a first- or second-round tender, limiting his appeal to other clubs.
Brock Osweiler‘s future with the Broncos obviously hinges on whether Peyton Manning retires (and if the club decides to retain him if he doesn’t), but after posting a 5-2 record during his seven starts last year, Osweiler is excited to at least have the chance to take over-full time. “Every single guy on this team embraced me, and that is something I think they all know how thankful I am for that,” Osweiler told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “But this is the best team in the world and we have a very special group in our locker room.”
Speaking to the media in Oakland yesterday, Raiders owner Mark Davis said MLB’s Athletics (who share O.co Coliseum with the Raiders) have impeded progress on a new Raiders stadium by signing a 10-year lease with O.co. “They’ve tied our hands behind our back,” Davis said, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The Athletics responded toady, as owner Lew Wolff stated that his club is committed to Oakland, and that nothing the A’s have done affects the Raiders interests (link via Pro Football Talk).

AFC Notes: Luck, Weddle, Jets, Broncos

January 9th, 2016 at 5:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier this week, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck said signing a contract extension to stay in Indianapolis “would be great.” It appears he’ll be in luck (no pun intended), as Colts owner Jim Irsay told Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star that an extension for the 25-year-old this summer “is the goal.”

“If we don’t get an agreement, we still have time,” Irsay continued. “And he is going to be signed. There’s a reasonably good chance we can come to that agreement this offseason. He will be here, trust me. Andrew and I have talked – we talked after the end of the season – and he couldn’t be more excited.”

Luck is set to count over $16MM against the Colts’ cap in 2016, the final year of his deal, before he’s scheduled for free agency. The chances of Luck hitting the market are essentially nonexistent, though, as the Colts will either extend the four-year veteran or, worst-case scenario, place the franchise tag on him. An extension could potentially make Luck the NFL’s highest-paid player.

Minor Moves: Monday

April 13th, 2015 at 10:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here, with any updates being added to the top of the list:

Offensive lineman Eben Britton incurred a four-game suspension, according to The Sports XChange’s Howard Balzer on Twitter. The 27-year-old is a free agent and started 34 games for the Jaguars and Bears the past six seasons, respectively. The reason for Britton’s suspension was not specified.
Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall signed his exclusive rights tender today, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Marshall started 13 games for Denver last season, racking up 95 tackles. He’ll be one of the club’s starting inside linebackers when it debuts its new 3-4 front this year.
The Colts have placed linebacker Aaron Morgan on the reserve/retired list, tweets Mike Chappell of RTV6. Morgan appeared in 18 games during his five-year career, seeing time with the Jaguars and Buccaneers in addition to Indianapolis.
Running back Da’Rel Scott and defensive tackle Nate Collins have both signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Both players participated in the recent veteran combine, adds Caplan (link).
Former 49ers receiver Ronald Johnson, a sixth-round pick in 2011, has signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, tweets Caplan.

Minor Moves: Friday

March 6th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Exclusive rights free agent Ryan Davis signed a deal with the Jaguars today, according to the team’s Twitter account. The defensive end signed with the Jaguars in May 2012 after going undrafted. He played in one game as a rookie and seven games in 2013 before sticking on the roster last year for 16 games and recording 6.5 sacks. Today’s minor moves..

Quarterback Tajh Boyd has agreed to terms with the Steelers on a one-year deal, multiple league sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Clemson product was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.
The Broncos officially announced that they have tendered offers to three exclusive rights free agents: linebacker Brandon Marshall, tackle Paul Cornick, and guard Ben Garland, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Browns announced they re-signed exclusive rights free agents running back Shaun Draughn and punter Spencer Lanning, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
The Jaguars declined to tender offers to their five restricted free agents, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes. Fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou, cornerback Teddy Williams, tailback/kick returner Jordan Todman, guard Jacques McClendon, and tight end Fendi Onobun will now become unrestricted free agents.
The Lions gave defensive end George Johnson an original-round tender and wide receiver Jeremy Ross an exclusive rights tender, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes.
The Chiefs have tendered ERFA Junior Hemingway, according to a source that spoke with Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Hemingway, 26, is a fourth-year pro who caught 12 passes for 108 yards in 14 games as a backup last season.
The 49ers have tendered exclusive-rights free agents Michael Wilhoite and Tony Jerod-Eddie, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
As expected, the Cardinals declined to tender either one of their restricted free agents, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Both quarterback Ryan Lindley and nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu will hit the open market.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Coleman, Ravens, Revis

February 26th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on a report that indicated the Broncos and Peyton Manning are engaged in contract discussions, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) notes that the veteran quarterback would like the team to re-sign tight end Julius Thomas, even though that seems increasingly unlikely. Whether Manning takes a pay cut or simply restructures his deal, the move could create $7-9MM in cap room, which would certainly give the club more flexibility to bring back free agents like Thomas and Terrance Knighton.

Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall is still a year away from even being eligible for restricted free agency, but he has signed with Rosenhaus Sports, and will be represented by Drew Rosenhaus and Jason Katz, reports Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter).
The Chiefs met with the representative for safety Kurt Coleman at the combine, and talks between the two sides were positive, a source tells Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com. Earlier in the month, we heard that Coleman would likely be seeking $1.5-2MM per year, and would prefer to sign with a team that gives him the opportunity to start.
There’s a case to be made for the Ravens to try to retain most of their free agents, but Pernell McPhee looks like a goner, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap in his preview of Baltimore’s offseason. You can find PFR’s own look ahead at the Ravens’ offseason right here.
Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com also weighs in on the Ravens‘ upcoming moves, focusing on the immediate future and explaining what the team could do to create $15MM+ in cap room.
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com breaks down the Darrelle Revis situation, writing that it wouldn’t surprise him if the cornerback left a little money on the table to re-sign with the Patriots, but still drove a very hard bargain. Corry could imagine the first three years of such a deal exceeding Patrick Peterson‘s contract with the Cardinals, but falling short of top contracts like J.J. Watt‘s and Mario Williams‘.

Injury Updates: Monday

December 15th, 2014 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

With just two weeks left in the NFL regular season, injuries that may not have been long-term problems earlier in the year could now end a player’s season. We’ll keep tabs right here on the latest updates on the ailments that could prompt roster moves or significantly alter a team’s plans:

While several players will be placed on injured reserve lists this week, ending their seasons, one player will come off IR — Bills running back C.J. Spiller is expected to be activated from IR-DTR, though it’s not clear how much of a role he’ll have for Buffalo in Week 16, or if he’ll even play (Twitter link).
A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall suffered a mid-foot sprain, and Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Marshall is expected to miss a week or two with the injury. While Marshall should return this season, fellow Denver linebacker Danny Trevathan won’t, according to Klis, who says Trevathan dislocated his left kneecap and will have to undergo surgery.
Lions right tackle LaAdrian Waddle partially tore his ACL yesterday and will miss the rest of the season, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Eagles outside linebacker Trent Cole has a broken hand, and his status for the rest of the season is uncertain, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said today on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that running back DeMarco Murray will have surgery on a broken bone in his hand (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio). Providing specifics on the injury, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com notes (via Twitter) that Emmitt Smith once missed a game after undergoing a similar surgery. It sounds as if Murray will be questionable for Week 16, but shouldn’t miss much – if any – time.
Key 49ers special teamer Kassim Osgood also broke a bone in his hand and likely won’t play in the club’s final two games, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Chargers linebacker Donald Butler dislocated his left elbow and is a candidate for IR, according to head coach Mike McCoy, who says the club is exploring its options (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune).

Broncos Re-Sign Mitch Unrein, Three Others

April 21st, 2014 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Defensive tackle Mitch Unrein has accepted and signed his restricted free agent tender from the Broncos, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Denver had tendered Unrein a contract offer at the lowest RFA level, so the veteran will be in line for a $1.431MM salary in 2014.

In addition to re-signin Unrein, the team has also officially locked up three exclusive rights free agents, says Klis. Cornerback Tony Carter ($730K), safety Duke Ihenacho ($570K), and linebacker Brandon Marshall ($495K) have all signed their ERFA contract tenders.

Carter, Ihenacho, and Marshall weren’t bona-fide free agents, since their lack of experience meant they had to accept the Broncos’ offer if they wanted to play in the NFL this year. Unrein, on the other hand, could have signed an offer sheet with another team, which Denver would have had the opportunity to match. The 27-year-old, who has provided the Broncos with depth on the defensive line for the last three seasons, either didn’t generate much interest on the open market or simply preferred to return to Denver.