Brandon Marshall Suspended Today

Finally McDaniels has gotten tired of the prima donna attitude of Brandon Marshall. Brandon saw that it worked for Cutler, so he wants the same kinda deal, but guess what? He waited too long to make his move. Now he is in violation of his working contract and he didn't even bother to memorize the playbook. Too bad, so sad. His majesty has been suspended.

Here's the press release out of Englewood:
Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason by the club for conduct detrimental to the team, it was announced Friday.

At a press conference later in the day, first-year head coach Josh McDaniels said the suspension will carry through to September 5. The Broncos' final preseason game is on September 3 against Arizona, while their season-opener is September 13 at Cincinnati.

McDaniels explained that the suspension was levied because of a "cumulative number of things," though he did not get more specific. Marshall has been pushing for a trade after his requests for a new contract were rebuffed, but a series of events Wednesday provided the most recent evidence.

Marshall was given a warning about his conduct before practice Wednesday, but proceeded to display instances of counterproductive behavior. The Denver Post reported Marshall was indifferent in running drills and did not run routes or makes catches in another drill, while Denver TV station KMGH aired clips of Marshall punting a ball away after a drill and swatting at a pass thrown his way.

"His actions didn't really change after that warning," said McDaniels, who told Marshall of the suspension Friday morning.

As for the length of the suspension, McDaniels said the team tried to follow an escalating discipline schedule, aiming to employ a suspension long enough to discourage Marshall's behavior without throwing the book at him.

"You don't just come out and throw out the most significant discipline at a player you can," McDaniels said.

He added that the team will look forward to having Marshall back on September 6 to prepare for the Bengals, and Marshall is certainly a key cog to the team's offense.

The explosive wideout has led the team in receptions the last two seasons, logging at least 100 in each, and is coming off his first Pro Bowl selection. In three seasons with Denver, Marshall has accumulated 226 receptions for 2,899 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Marshall was also given a three-game suspension from the NFL last August for violating the league's personal conduct policy, though it was later reduced to one game after his appeal.

But despite Marshall's behavior, McDaniels said the sides were trying to work through the situation.

"It's going to take two sides who want to make this work, who want to make this better," McDaniels said.

McDaniels has had a rocky start to his tenure in Denver. The former New England offensive coordinator made an attempt to acquire former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, who was later dealt to division-rival Kansas City. The overture did not sit well with incumbent signal-caller Jay Cutler, who demanded a trade and was eventually dealt to Chicago.

"Get to Work Brandon" (my own comments)