He actually received a $500 bump in salary for this coming season for making the Pro Bowl….

I thought it was a lot more than that.

I kept seeing the phrase but no explanation of what that actually meant — especially since there were a lot of other comments about how he stood in relation to other top receivers.

I think the phrase refers to production (good luck finding a consensus definition) per dollar paid.

I agree that he’s outplayed his contract and if football was the only thing in consideration then I would say that the Broncos should pay the guy without hesitation. However, the reason he’s payed like a fourth round draft pick is because many teams had serious concerns about his off-field behavior and maturity level and I’d say he has legitimized those concerns. That’s why he’s going to find it difficult to get payed more than a fourth round draft pick (this year anyway).

is that he produces WAY more results than the other wide receivers in his pay grade.

I like your point though that it is hard to outplay a contract that doesn’t have incentive clauses in it. By the very definition, he is living up to his contract in a satisfactory manner and should be rewarded when he is due another contract. However, there are other factors that may prevent that from happening.

account for the future. You enter an employment contract with the assumption that if you are unbelieveable at your job, that you’ll probably get a raise to compensation that equates to your market value.

If I was a rainmaker of a trial attorney but I’d had a DUI or two and worked for for a good but not presigious law firm and my current firm wouldn’t give me a raise, I might start calling around to other firms to see what they would pay for me. I bet I’d get hired by a new firm, make more money, get more exposure, but would be VERY closely monitored on my out of the office behavior.

We have to understand that if Marshall thinks he’s WAY better than the money he’s making then his options are:

1) To keep playing anyway and force the Broncos’ hand due to his overwhelming production (risky for Marshall). This is the Hines Ward maneuver.

2) To demand a new deal ‘or else’, but stay with the team (risky for Marshall), but this is what Weigmann did. Brandon doesn’t really have this option. It’s not like he’s threatening to retire. He’d be threatening to sit for a year at best, and that’s not much of a threat.

3) To stop playing and demand a trade which is the fastest way to get a resolution one way or the other. You do this because there are ABSOLUTELY other teams that will pay Marshall like a top 5 Wide Reciever, even if the contract is back loaded. This benefits Brandon immediately, he gets more fame, more fortune, and is already getting more exposure.

Let me know if I’m missing anything.

Brandon isn’t TRYING to be reasonabvle here, he’s TRYING to get paid without risking anything other than dragging his reputation (which already sucks) through the mud even more. Typical WR stuff, right?

As much as it pains me to say it, if the Broncos truly think Marshall’s off field behavior doesn’t warrant a new contract, then he’ll play elsewhere next year. It’s that black and white to me.

If the Broncos keep saying that they can’t trust him, they MUST trade him right now!!!

If they value his on-field persona and production, then YES, they HAVE TO pay him more with at very least a short term contract that puts him in the top 15 WRs in the NFL.

In the NFL you get paid to produce. He’s done that and if Denver doesn’t pay him, somebody else will.

Most of these guys live in a different world where the laws of the universe that you and I play by do not apply. At least until they retire, which is probably why so many ex pro’s struggle to make it once they’re done.

This guy could be one of the best, but as Rod Smith said, he needs to be here with the team, it’s the little things that matter. Marshall is only thinking of himself at this moment, he doesn’t care how the team feels or anybody else. I say sit his butt if he refuses to play. If he comes out for training camp and is 100%, and the no suspension then sit down and talk new contract.

Yes – a player can “outplay” a contract, especially a rookie contract. Is Marshall producing at a level that warrants a new deal? Yes, especially since this is the last year of his 4 year contract and Denver has no fewer than 4 young studs to resign in 2010.

Would they be better off giving him a new deal now rather than waiting for him to have another huge season? Sure.

However, you can’t discount all the off-field stuff. You can’t discount the injuries (severed artery and hip).

Brandon is going about it the way many players do and if he didn’t have the issues and the injuries… he might already have a new deal.

The other side to the equation is can a player “underplay” a contract – oh hell yeah, and teams fix that by cutting the player and taking a hit.

Sure, Marshall deserves a new deal… it will be interesting to see if they give him one with performance based (on and off field) outs for the team.

Last year BM got most of his yards/catches and ALL of his TDs against weaker teams, and has much lower production in the games against good teams.

vs Winning teams
Rec./game 4.5
Yds/game 53.5
TD 0

vs Losing teams
Rec./game 8.6
Yds/game 104.9
TD 6
Source

50 yards per game against teams with winning records? I’d pay about $2.2mm for that production….

BTW, Brandon, you want the money? STOP HITTING WOMEN.

It’s another one of those sayings used to state the athlete has played exceptionally well. I’d agree Brandon has put up superb numbers for catchs and yards. But, when it comes to scoring I’d have to say he’s way below average in that catagory for the catches and yards he’s put up.

Instead of saying he’s outplayed his contract it might be more correct to say “His play warrants a larger contract.” Although, personally, though I love Brandon as a receiver, don’t think he has been the difference maker in games that would bring him more money. Darin H’s post kind of reflects that statement for me.

let me look at this without looking at Marshall. Last year Casey Weigman was cut by KC and signed by the Broncos. He was ginven a 2-year deal at the league minimum with the expectation that he would backup Nalen. Instead, he started every game and put in an All-Pro performance. I would call that outperforming his contract.

Ryan Harris was signed 2 years ago to the standard 3rd round pick (outside of the 1st round rookie contracts are pretty standardized). He missed his rookie year but performed at an All-pro level last year (in my opinion). I don’t know what your expectations are for a 3rd round pick, but I’d say he outperformed expectations.

To me, outplaying a contract means that the player has significantly outperformed the expectations embedded in their contract. Has Marshall significantly ourperformed his contract? Depends on your expectations for a 4th round pick, but I’d say yes.

Would I fork over a lot of guaranteed money for him? No, too many uncertainties, on and off the field. But that is a separate issue from whether he has outplayed his contract.

BM was drafted when we had Rod & Javon as the projected starting WR’s so was he drafted to be a backup and his contract & draft postion reflect that.

Does that mean that every draft pick not drafted in the first or second round that starts before their rookie contract expires has outperformed their contract?

Can we extrapolate this further and say theres a high chance Hillis and Wesley Woodyard will soon be outplaying their contracts?

On the subject on Woodyard and sorry to get off topic, but now Boss has gone is he the consensis projected starting LOLB?