There are plenty of opinions on both sides of the ledger regarding the Brandon Marshall trade. One opinion I have come to respect is that of Michale Lombardi. He's as knowledgeable a football guy as there is in the League - along with Pat Kirwin over at NFL.com, and I respect what he says, even if I don't agree 100% of the time.
That's why I took notice when he gave this little tidbit about Josh McDaniels, the Broncos and the trade earlier today -
After spending time with Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels yesterday, I'm further convinced he'll produce an eventual Super Bowl winner for the city of Denver. As I wrote the other day, this decision to trade Marshall was an organizational decision because the Broncos were never going to spend the money needed to keep Marshall, given all his off-the-field problems.
Miami paid dearly - both in the contract for Marshall (most NFL executives think the Dolphins significantly overpaid - $13.25 million per for two additional years is QB money, which is going to make it tough for the Chargers to re-sign Vincent Jackson) and two No. 2s. McDaniels played this one perfectly, getting value for Marshall. Now he must cash in with his selections.
Lombardi is one of the few that doesn't knee-jerk to news. He took the time to talk to McDaniels and get a feel for the reasons why the Broncos made the move. He's also not the first within NFL circles to foresee big things for Josh McDaniels in Denver.
Patience my friends...