After a solid yet unspectacular season in 2016, six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall was released by the New York Jets earlier this week. Though it is never fun to be cut, Marshall took the high road and exited gracefully with the following message for Jets leadership.
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Now, though, it is time to look ahead for Marshall and a very intriguing suitor has potentially emerged to land his services. That suitor is the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
Marshall caught 59 passes for 788 yards and three touchdowns last season. While that might not seem overly impressive, it comes with the caveat of an unsettled (to be kind) quarterback situation in New York and pairing Marshall with Tom Brady could be a dynamite conversation.
In fact, ESPN's Mike Reiss shed some light on how that fit might come together.
If Marshall is truly motivated to play for a winning franchise, and the chance to catch passes from quarterback Tom Brady, perhaps he would be this year's Chris Long — a player who signs a one-year deal with a modest value. If those are the dynamics in play, it could make it more enticing for the Patriots to consider it, as the wide receiver corps returns Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell in the top three spots. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Marshall would add a different dynamic based on his bigger physical makeup.
It remains to be seen just how interested both parties are at this juncture, but it makes a ton of football sense to think that Marshall and the Patriots would be a good marriage. Time will tell but it's an intriguing thought if nothing else.
