It’s no secret that the Chicago Bears are dangling wide receiver Brandon Marshall as trade bait to save some cash and even more headaches. With the Bears looking to rebuild, it’s likely they could cut ties with the mercurial wide receiver who stirred things up in the locker room more than he did on the field in 2014.
The Indianapolis Colts could be looking to replace the aging and declining Reggie Wayne and need a big target for quarterback Andrew Luck. This rumor is starting to pick up some buzz, here from Bleacher Report’s Insider Buzz:
Brandon Marshall is listed among a group of veteran wide receivers that the Colts could look to acquire via trade. There are some interesting names on the list like Texans vet Andre Johnson, Dolphins flop Mike Wallace and the Bucs big free agent splash from a couple of years ago, former Charger Vincent Jackson.
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Of course, the Colts already have TY Hilton, but need a big bodied wide receiver to complement the speedy Hilton. Donte Moncreif showed signs last season, but he’s still very raw. The Colts also had impending free agent Hakeem Nicks on their roster last season, but he failed to live up to the early promise he showed as a member of the Giants.
There is no denying Brandon Marshall’s production on the field when healthy. Marshall has accounted for over 3500 yards and caught 31 TD’s over three seasons with the Bears. Last season, Marshall had a down year plagued by an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 1 that never seemed to really allow him to return to form all season.
But it’s not the production on the field that makes Marshall available. It’s his locker room demeanor that has worn out his welcome in Chicago. Marshall had a notable blow up after the Dolphins game where he went hard after his teammates and chastised kicker Robbie Gould after Gould stood up to Marshall.
The 30-year-old Marshal is due nearly $10 million this season after picking up a $30-million contract extension before last season.
The big question is what Marshall’s trade value might be on the open market. With plenty of other available free agents, what would the Colts part with to secure Marshall?