5 players the Denver Broncos gave up on way too soon

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DENVER – DECEMBER 20: Brandon Marshall #15 of the Denver Broncos stiff arms Tyvon Branch #33 of the Oakland Raiders in the second half at Invesco Field at Mile High on December 20, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 20-19. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

5 players the Denver Broncos gave up on way too soon

Brandon Marshall, WR

In the 2010 NFL offseason, the Denver Broncos traded stud wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for two second-round picks in the 2010 and 2011 NFL Drafts. The Dolphins proceeded to sign Marshall to a large contract extension. This was a weird move and definitely was not the right one for the Broncos.

Marshall had three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons in Denver from 2007-2009, including 10 touchdowns in the 2009 season. He was exploding in his prime and continued to do so in the years following his trade from the Broncos.

From the 2010-2015 seasons, Marshall had just one season under 1,000 yards, and that’s when he appeared in just 13 games for the Chicago Bears in the 2014 season. He topped 1,500 yards twice after his departure from Denver and had three double-digit touchdown seasons after leaving the Broncos.

He ended his career with 970 receptions for 12,351 yards and 83 touchdowns, most of that coming with the Dolphins, Bears, and New York Jets. Marshall could have cemented himself in the history books with the Denver Broncos, but the team had different ideas.

Fortunately, Demaryius Thomas was not far away, and Thomas ended up having a great career with the Broncos, but still.

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