(Above: Marshall is praying for a way out.)

I broke the news about Brandon Marshall’s trade demands shortly after rotoworld.com did, and before ESPN was able to.

But now we’re dealing with an entirely different type of monster. While owner Pat Bowlen led the rest of us to believe that Denver would try to resolve this matter, it appears the front office has already given up and will attempt to trade their star receiver.

Marshall wants a fat paycheck after turning in two seasons with 100-plus catches, and Denver wants him to show the world he can do it again.

Seems a bit unfair, no?

Marshall brings a strong argument to the table outside of his production as well.

After Josh McDaniels arguably drove Jay Cutler out of town, Marshall lost the guy who helped him put up his gaudy numbers. Now the receiver is in a new offense, with a new coach, and a new quarterback that isn’t horrible, but clearly is no Cutler.

So, really, we’re right back where we started.

Marshall has every reason to want a new contract, as a down year resulting from these changes may affect his contract positioning with Denver, as well as the rest of the league.

It’s because of this fact that Denver wants this over and done with. They know they have an explosive weapon in Eddie Royal, they just signed Brandon Lloyd, and they also have the wily veteran Brandon Stokley.

Regardless of your opinion on Marshall, Bowlen, McDaniels, or any other Denver Broncos employee, the fact that Marshall is already saying his goodbyes still exists, and it’s time to think about where he might be playing in September.

First, with this AFC talk…

 

Baltimore Ravens

Everyone keeps talking about Baltimore, but I just don’t see it happening. First, what can/would Baltimore part with that wouldn’t cripple them and Denver could use?

It would have to be on the defensive side of the ball, but if a trade went down, I wouldn’t be shocked if McDaniels tried grabbing former Ohio State product Troy Smith as a project player.

I still don’t see the Broncos dealing to anyone in the AFC. The Jets and Browns were both willing to pay a hefty price for Cutler, and the Broncos decided to send their former quarterback where he wanted to play.

Despite not coughing up the cash, it seem this Denver front office is actually fairly decent about where they trade their disgruntled stars.

 

New York Jets

Again, I don’t believe they’ll trade him to a team that could do damage to them in the future in the playoffs, and they definitely won’t even think about moving him within the division.

However, the Jets definitely need another receiver (probably two more, actually), and unless they’re sold on Plaxico Burress (they aren’t), Marshall could be worth the risk.

The Jets probably have some defensive players McDaniels would be interested in, while they could also package their slew of average slot receivers.

I still don’t see him landing in the AFC.

 

New York Giants

That’s right—we could have a duel in the Big Apple for a receiver with a busted hip, contract demands, and a domestic abuse past.

The Giants were rumored for some time to be interested in Braylon Edwards, so why not take the next superstar receiver available? Marshall is easily better than Edwards, and while his hands can also be suspect, they are nowhere close to as unreliable as Edwards’ are.

The Giants did just draft two impressive rookie receivers, however, and already have some solid youth and talent at the position.

But are we seriously saying they’d rather go into the season with rookies and unproven players than Marshall?

I don’t think so.

 

Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones and co. may have learned their lesson, but lightning always strikes twice, at least in the NFL.

Jones hasn’t bitten on Matt Jones or Burress yet, and I’m impressed with his patience, but he can’t be as confident in Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton as he seems.

Heck, he can’t even be that confident in Roy Williams.

Marshall would give them a new type of receiver who is big, fast, and physical, while lacking the abrasive attitude of Terrell Owens. Well, not quite as abrasive.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

This is fairly unlikely, but by doing this, Philadelphia would finally be bringing in that true No. 1 receiver the Eagles have been lacking since T.O.

Donovan McNabb would be happy, and the offense would definitely be better because of it.

The Broncos could steal Kevin Curtis and a little-used Reggie Brown from Philly, both of whom McDaniels could turn into superstars in his offense.

McDaniels clearly likes former Eagles players, as he’s already added Brian Dawkins and Correll Buckhalter to his team.

Never say never.

 

Chicago Bears

Denver did Cutler a solid favor by shipping him to Chicago, which is exactly where he wanted to go. But will they do that for an upset player twice in one offseason?

The way McDaniels is running this team, it can’t be out of the question.

Chicago knows the chemistry Cutler and Marshall have is not something that can be replaced with the options they currently have. If they can talk Denver into it, it’s going to happen.

Chicago has some good defensive pieces they could send over to Denver, and they could even part with one of the rookie receivers they just drafted.

 

Minnesota Vikings

If Brett Favre is coming to town (and he is), then Minnesota better get serious and add a stud receiver.

After all, we don’t want a repeat performance of average receiver play, now do we?

While the Vikings may simply be waiting to pull the trigger on a Burress, Jones, or even Marvin Harrison, landing Marshall would make the most sense.

He’s only 25, and he solves two problems. First, this would impress Favre and give him a reliable option, and it would also rescue their receiver corps for the present and the future.

 

Atlanta Falcons

It’d be crazy—absolutely insane—to see a lineup with Marshall, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez.

But for the sake of Matt Ryan’s already booming future, it just might happen.

Atlanta could throw the solid Michael Jenkins in a trade with some picks, and possibly a defensive player or two.

This is, like Philadelphia, one of the more unlikely trade scenarios, but it’d be interesting to see what happens in Atlanta if Ryan has three Pro Bowl options.

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

OK, so Tampa Bay isn’t ga-ga about their quarterback situation.

I have a way to make them feel better. Add a second star receiver to the lineup, and see if your starter can fail.

Whether it’s Byron Leftwich or Luke McCown, it’d be awfully hard for him to falter with options like Antonio Bryant, Kellen Winslow, and Marshall.

Tampa Bay is rumored to be interested in Burress as well, but considering their dramatic youth movement, Marshall would be a better fit.

 

Arizona Cardinals

While it sounds crazy, this could be the best possible outcome for all sides.

Anquan Boldin and Marshall both want new contracts and wouldn’t mind new jerseys. At the same time, both Denver and Arizona don’t want to lose their star receivers without proper compensation.

It could be a one-for-one swap, but since Boldin doesn’t have anything that could possibly prevent him from seeing the field in 2009, the Broncos actually may have to give something up to make it happen.

That’s the thing that may stop McDaniels from pulling the trigger.

The goal is not to help other teams, but to make them think they are winning in the trade, while in turn, you are.

Clearly McDaniels knows all about winning, as he’s on his way to helping two Pro Bowl players leave his team.

Regardless, Marshall’s days are numbered, and these 10 teams look to be the most likely landing spots.

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