Forgetting Brandon Marshall

He may have been a head-case; he may have been a distraction, but one thing is for certain Brandon Marshall in a Broncos uniform was one of the most consistently dangerous receivers in the NFL. Even in ’09, coming off of an off season plagued by injury and contract disputes, Marshall proved that while on the field the focus is there to put together a remarkable season. Critics questioned whether new quarterback Kyle Orton could get Marshall the ball and whether McDaniels complicated offense would overwhelm a player who parts training camp, even if there were enough capable weapons around him for Marshall to be effective. How did he answer all the doubts? He was unstoppable, plain and simple, to the tune of his third consecutive 1,000 yard season and a career high 10 touchdown receptions.Not wanting to pay the big money Marshall was asking for, McDaniels chose to trade the All-Pro receiver, who was never very popular in the coaches’ office, to the Miami Dolphins in the off season in exchange for 2 second round draft picks. The move left a gaping hole in the Broncos roster, leaving journeyman Jabar Gaffney as the team’s leading receiver, after once promising Eddie Royal threw up a stinker in his second year. So who to replace the prolific receiver?So far so good, with the emergence Gaffney, a standout in his college heyday at Florida, and an at-times superb yet injury prone performance out of the ‘rook, Demaryius Thomas, a first round pick in this year’s draft. During his 3 seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Thomas grew accustomed to being the lone target in a struggling passing game, much like the role he is hoped to assume to with Marshall gone. In a game against duke his sophomore season, Thomas had 9 receptions for 230 yards, an impressive total in and of itself. What turned a great game into legend is the fact that Thomas was the only Georgia Tech player to catch a ball that game, as quarterback Jaybo Shaw went 9/14 passing with only 230 yards. While Thomas has certainly proved he can carry a subpar passing game in college, it remains to be seen whether he can put a pro team’s offensive load on his shoulders. Only time will tell, but with a high scoring offense underway so far, early returns indicate the Broncos have rebounded from the break-up quickly.