Do They Or Don't They? Jets May Not Want Brandon Marshall

There have been several contradictory reports over the last twelve hours about the Jets "desire" to acquire Broncos diva-receiver Brandon Marshall.

Moreover, it has been well publicized in Denver that Marshall hates new head coach Josh McDaniels, and desperately wants out of the program. Marshall has been seen slapping balls away from himself during practice, as well as kicking the ball away whenever he makes a catch. His behavior was so bad that the Broncos suspended him until September 5 for conduct detrimental to the team.

Since that time, the Jets have been the only team reportedly interested in Marshall. There were reports that the Jets called the Broncos to inquire about the receiver, which was immediately followed by reports that the Broncos were thinking of filing tampering charges against the Jets. Should we be shocked that there is any coincidence that McDaniels, a former Patriots assistant, was thinking of filing such charges because of his long standing hatred of New York? Perhaps.

After that, the reports got even more insane. NFL Network reported last night that the Broncos never intended to trade Marshall to any team. "We're looking forward to having Brandon back Sept. 6 and starting our preparations for Cincinnati with him," said McDaniels.

Meanwhile, ESPN reported a totally different story. They claim that the Jets and Broncos were in discussions about a possible trade, but the Broncos wanted linebacker David Harris in return for Marshall. According to the same story, the Jets have no intention to let go of Harris, whom the team views as having a promising future by teaming him up with Bart Scott in the middle of Rex Ryan's 46 Defense.

Finally, the New York Post contradicted everyone, stating that the Jets have no interest in Marshall. The Post reports that sources close to the situation feel that the Jets had no interest in trading for Marshall because of the high asking price.

If it is true that the Jets have interest in Marshall, it ought to raise eyebrows on several scores:

1) Why would the Jets want to acquire and sign a total malcontent to a big contract while they are hanging their best player, Leon Washington on the rail with no extension in sight. Signing Marshall, a guy with whom they have no experience, a guy who is compared to Terrell Owens without the stats, would be more than a big risk for the Jets; it might be foolish.

2) It appears that the Jets are competing against themselves for Marshall. When a team is negotiating against itself, it is usually a bad sign. A fellow like Marshall should garner a lot of requests, but the Jets are the only team interested. That must meant that a lot of teams are fearful of bringing a divisive product into the organization. The Jets should wake up and not pursue this any further.