Bears to Trade Receiver Brandon Marshall to Jets for 5th Round Pick

The Packers' DBs are letting out a sigh of relief: Brandon Marshall won't be lining up across from them twice a year anymore. The tall, talented receiver has reportedly been traded to the New York Jets for a 5th round draft pick.

Marshall, who had a down season last year statistically, had been a source of locker room drama, and the Bears' new management decided he wasn't worth the headache.


Still, though, Brandon Marshall is an elite receiver from a talent and size perspective, and a 5th round draft pick hardly seems like fair compensation for the veteran. I suppose the best thing the Bears got out of this deal was salary cap space. Here's a tid bit from overthecap.com:

"The Bears had signed Marshall to a contract extension last year that paid him a $7.5 million signing bonus and $7.5 million salary. The team ended up getting just one year for $15 million, essentially as if he was a franchise player, so from that perspective the extension was a disaster for the Bears. The Bears will now carry $5.625 million in dead money for Marshall this season, but that will allow them to create another $3.95 million in cap room. For Chicago this is probably a sign of the lack of faith that the new regime has in the roster that was constructed by former GM Phil Emery and they will be looking to turn over as many veteran pieces as possible."

Regardless of the Bears' reasoning, I am just happy not to have Brandon Marshall to worry about anymore.