Also, the coaches / scouts aren’t very appreciative of the ones that choose not to participate either…They all spend lots of travel $$$ to send their staffs, interviews, etc. and I would think that they are going to have much more interest in the kids that are there to prove themselves!

He is coming off of a major shoulder injury which would take some time to heal. How far along he is in his road to recovery, I don’t know. Speculation is all well and good, but it’s hard to say how legitimately injured a guy is when we haven’t seen him play in a while, anyways.

I agree that guys should be at the combine and practicing, but some guys do have a legit injury that hinders them from playing. In those cases, it would be better if they didn’t go out there and re-aggravate the injury, causing even more recovery time, especially when time is of the essence in your rookie season.

This is exactly what my eyes have told me as well. When I watch Marshall play, I don’t see a guy who is hamstrung by emotion — quite the opposite. In him, I think we have a WR who loves to play at a high level, has played at a high level, and simply wants to get paid for it.

B Marsh has fought through some tough spots, but he is far, far, far from a basket case.

How’s the kool-aid taste, nutter? Next you’re going to tell me that McDaniels can fix his mark to a contract, or add two and two, or even — and I seriously doubt this — tie his shoes.

In all seriousness, Marshall’s problems don’t begin or end with D-Will. But I get it. And I always thought the reporters buried the lede in the story about that night — Marshall and his cousin (his cousin, right?) acting like yahoos in the midst of an era when NFL night club violence was very common, even in Denver. I mean, if Joey Porter can get shot at on I-76 of all places, there is reason to be cautious.

why not? Give him another year to see how he manages the offense with more experience…

Signing him is a time commitment. Now that time can be abruptly brought to an end, but there are better ways to build contracts when you have the expectation of cutting or losing someone early (see Dawkins 4 year-but-it-is actually-for-two-years contract).

Orton hasn’t given us the data to say he will be the best long term option at QB, but he has given us the data that says he is committed to that path, as committed as we could want or need him to be. Which means he hasn’t given us any reason to cut him or ship him out.

What Denver has is an opportunity. If he DOES develop into a long term player, signing him to the highest tender will gain us essentially an extra year of his play at a bargain discount. Signing him long term now eliminates that bonus. If he DOESN’T continue to improve, we get to once again rethink how we want to approach keeping him on the team next year, when the RFA deal expires. Signing him now eliminates that option.

No matter which way you turn, it makes the most sense to tender him to a one year deal. I think where the debate should really lie is what level of tender the Broncos use. A high tender is practically a guarantee that we keep him. A 1st only says more about what we are willing to pay him, as I think it may still be a steep price for a player of Orton’s caliber.

I feel the need to quantify that caliber: a young QB with a full complement of tools, a good head on his shoulders, an ideal team attitude, a willingness to lead the team from the front, and who is entering the prime of his career, where a one year tender followed by a 4-5year contract will allow him to finish his career with success and in one place. But he is also a QB who took a major step back in his productivity when he joined the Bears, suffered under too many years in a ridiculous situation in Chicago, including an unnecessary QB controversy and one of the worst OLs in football at the time, and who would be entering into his third scheme in three seasons.

Keep in mind that a one year tender is worth more to Orton as well as the Broncos. He had a slightly above average performance last year (his ball protection is what puts him over the mean in my eyes) with a difficult set of realities to deal with, including the new scheme and his injuries. Next year he will have a much better opportunity to earn a much better wage. If he moves teams, he is putting a ceiling on his earning potential, if he stays he leaves open the opportunity to break through that ceiling, possibly in a big way…

I still can’t decide what I would like to see happen and at this point I could get behind stay or go, either/or…However, I do believe that McDnX will have really considered all the options, thought the situation through, and will do what they think is best for the Team on the field as well as the financial considerations (ramifications) of the organization.

that his self centered attitude doesn’t outweigh any potential trauma. Regardless, whether Marshall wants to stay or not and whether he would end up playing superbly or not, there is one thing of which there can be little doubt: He will continue to be a significant distraction. Now, that distraction may be worth the rewards but if a valuable trade can be made, I don’t believe he is worth the risks.