The Brandon Marshall drama just won't quit, this time fueled by the memory of the late Darrent Williams
Off-season Bronco news isn’t supposed to be like this. It’s not supposed to be about reliving one of the most shocking and tragic moments in Broncos history. It’s not about speculating whether one of the most electrifying players ever to don the orange and blue is going to stick around, or whether he actually hates this city, a claim he once made during a DUI arrest.
On New Year’s Day of 2007, early in the morning while the rest of us were wrapping up our celebrations and heading to bed, Darrent Williams and a few of his teammates were in a limo heading up Speer from a club, where a bit of a confrontation had taken place. Included in the group were receivers Javon Walker (who was riding next to Willliams in the car) and Brandon Marshall (not in the car). Shots rang out in the cold air, and a bullet struck Williams, ending the life of the promising young cornerback. Now this death was no more or less senseless and tragic than any of the other murders that happen in this city every year, but this one happened to be right in the public eye, born of the machismo and bravado that comes with high-powered athletic celebrity and affluence. As such, the search for the killer and subsequent legal proceedings of jury selection and trial still drone on. The Broncos, by necessity, have of course moved on.
Then in steps Marshall. Word comes out of the Denver Post now that Williams’ death still haunts Marshall, and is a big reason for Marshall’s insistence, in action if not in word, that he find a new city to call home. This assertion didn’t come from a quote, so to speak. It was conjecture strung together by a columnist reading from a combination of quotes, actions, and presumably personal interactions. I haven’t had the chance to have such interactions with Marshall, save a quick handshake and autograph at a Broncos Country party in Broomfield later in the summer of 2007. (And by the way, you don’t realize how BIG and appropriate for catching a football that man’s hands are until you see him up close.) If it is the case that Marshall can’t handle the guilt or the memories of D-Will, it’s hard to believe that he thinks a giant sack of money and a new uniform is going to wash all that away. Perhaps we’re just looking for reasons to let Marshall go, or perhaps we’re looking for reasons to make his behavior make sense. Either way, the fact remains that the best thing for this football team – which is the rallying cry for McDaniels and the new regime – is for number 15 to be catching passes here, be it from Orton or anyone else, and not in Seattle, Chicago, Washington, or anywhere else.
Marshall’s future is uncertain particularly due to the likelihood of an uncapped year, making restricted free agents less palatable to other teams. Rumors have surfaced of Marshall landing in Seattle (one of our top search terms on this site is “Marshall to Seahawks”… sorry Seattle fans, nothing to report), Chicago to reunite with Cutler, Washington to reunite with Shanahan, and even Cleveland, where he’ll reunite with nothing but a widespread hatred of the Denver Broncos.
