Brandon Marshall trade stroke of genius by New York Jets

Ever since rumors emerged regarding the chances of the Chicago Bears parting ways with star wide receiver Brandon Marshall, I was a firm believer in the Bears holding onto the No. 1 receiver, though he had been usurped by Alshon Jeffery as the team’s top option. The Bears shouldn’t have dealt away one of their most talented players, because their roster has enough need, is short on difference-makers, and requires talent to help Jay Cutler bounce back (there’s just no way to realistically move Cutler’s huge contract).

However, none of this deterred the Bears, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier today that the team has agreed to move Marshall to the WR-needy New York Jets in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Marshall, who will be 30 when the season starts and will be owed $7.5 million next year, was never expected to garner the Bears a significant draft pick, but a fifth-round pick is a bargain for the Jets, even in a league that short-changes veteran players in player-for-pick trades.

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What the Bears do with the cap space left by Marshall and their success in free agency will ultimately give us the verdict of this trade from their perspective, but it immediately seems like a stroke of genius for the Jets to acquire Marshall. Eric Decker played at a high level last season when adjusting for embarrassingly poor quarterback play and mediocre help around him at the position, so you can only imagine how much better this offseason will be with two very good starting receivers.

Marshall struggled last season and was a little bit nicked up with an injury, so he’s a prime bounce-back candidate for multiple reasons. Firstly, he had at least 100 receptions in his first two seasons in Chicago, and, secondly, his extremely disappointing 61-721-8 line in 13 games seemed to result from the situation he was in. The dysfunction within the Bears locker room and organization clearly got to him, and he showed off plenty of frustration after being quiet in his first two years with the team.

Now a star player on a rebuilding team with a new coach and GM, Marshall has a chance to start fresh, and he’s been productive at every stop of his career. With five 100-catch seasons and three double-digit TD seasons under his belt, Marshall has been one of the NFL’s best possession receivers in recent memory and has an outside shot of making it into the Hall of Fame one day.

The Decker and Marshall combo gives the Jets one of the league’s best outside wide receiver duos, and they have two quality pass-catchers over the middle of the field in second-year “move” TE Jace Amaro, who played better than expected as a rookie, and consistent slot man Jeremy Kerley. They could afford to add another depth piece, but wide receiver has gone from a weakness to a strength in just one move.

That’s incredibly critical for the Jets, since GM Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles must find a franchise quarterback. They might test whether or not Geno Smith is that guy, and that would likely be their default option if they can’t pick up Marcus Mariota (or even Jameis Winston, thought that’s far less likely) with the sixth pick in the draft.

In Decker, the Jets already had a consistent wide receiver who is one of the league’s most polished route-runners, and they’ve just added an even better route-runner. Marshall’s game as a receiver is a bit like Andre Johnson‘s, in that it’s hard to see him declining significantly with age. He makes his living on using his size and physicality to bully defensive backs, and he gains separation with savvy rather than speed.

A red zone beast, Marshall possesses elite ball skills, and he’s the kind of steady outside receiver who can be a massive asset for a young QB. Throw in his elite blocking at the position, and you have a guy who fits the Jets extremely well.

The Bears took a look at Marshall’s $7.5 million, $7.9 million, and $8.3 million base salaries over the next three seasons and figured that it wouldn’t be worth it to pay him, but that’s a fair price for a receiver who caught 100 passes for nearly 1,300 yards (about 13 yards per reception) and 12 touchdowns in 2013.

Dec 4, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) before their game against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

In a way, Brandon Marshall actually comes at a relatively friendly price for the Jets, since it allows them to cut Percy Harvin without worrying about filling their need at wide receiver with Michael Crabtree or someone like Amari Cooper in the draft.

They can draft someone at WR later in the draft to take advantage of the depth at the position, but they don’t have to pay a premium price for one in the first.

Speaking of premium price, the Jets no longer have to pay Harvin premium price, though it’s never like they would have done so anyway. Trading for Marshall guarantees Harvin’s release, and the crazy thing is that the team will save around $3 million this upcoming season by acquiring Marshall and releasing Harvin.

While Harvin is a terrific playmaker, he’s inconsistent and injury-prone, so the Jets are saving money and getting a better receiver who can help a young QB more.

The New York Jets should be getting a productive receiver with a couple of more 100-catch seasons in him, since it’s hard to see a refined possession wideout like Marshall struggling. Teams won’t be able to focus too much on either Decker or Marshall, and they also have a credible rushing attack with Chris Ivory.

This offense has some promise if they can get workable play from the quarterback position, and it will be interesting to see what their plan is at the QB position. No matter what, that QB now has a great WR duo to work with, and it only costed the Jets new regime a fifth-rounder.

Next: Are the Jets WRs elite?

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