Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall was a key contributor on Denver’s 2015 title-winning run, but since signing his big money contract a year after the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, he hasn’t been the same.
Some of this is due to injures, but much of it has just been general ineffectiveness. His contract that he signed in 2016 is worth $32 million over four years with $15 million guaranteed. That type of money makes Marshall the third highest paid inside linebacker in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Marshall is arguably just the third best inside linebacker on his own team, and is now starting to come off the bench with Josey Jewell taking his spot in the starting lineup.
Furthermore, according to Pro Football Focus, Marshall has a season grade of 58.2 in 192 snaps, which places him 49th out of 81 qualifying linebackers (inside and out).
While Brandon Marshall is a fantastic person off the field and in the community, I have a feeling John Elway and company will not want to pay a 30-year-old backup inside linebacker $9 million in 2019. The dead money if released before June 1st is $4 million, but Broncos brass showed a willingness to accept dead money in unique situations like Menelik Watson’s.