Free agency stalled for many players when the NFL put the kibosh on visits for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the outset of training camps has begun to produce some action for mid-level targets.
Former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall is visiting the Texans, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This marks the first Marshall-related news this offseason. He has not played in a regular-season game since his five-plus season Denver tenure ended after the 2018 slate.
Marshall, 30, was a key player for one of this century’s defining defenses. He started all 19 games the 2015 Super Bowl champion Broncos played and was a five-season starter in Denver. In the 2016 offseason, Marshall signed an $8MM-per-year extension to stay in Denver. However, injuries plagued the veteran linebacker for much of that deal. The Broncos released Marshall in 2019.
While Marshall’s 2019 Raiders stay did not work out, with an injury ending that brief partnership, the Texans have shown interest at multiple junctures. They worked out Marshall last season. A Houston pact would surely mean Marshall would compete for a depth spot behind starters Benardrick McKinney and Zach Cunningham.
Wrong Brandon Marshall in the link.
Marshall was solid for most of his tenure in Denver, and was good in coverage as a number two linebacker. He wasn’t really a top linebacker, but was above average overall. His tackling ability is also slightly suspect at this point. However, Marshall has always been good in the locker room, and his strength is in his smarts and experience. I wouldn’t see him as an every down player now, but he could add some insurance to a lacking linebacker room.
I think he’d be great behind McKinney and Cunningham on passing downs. Romeo Cremmel is an intelligent coordinator capable of using personnel to his advantage
He’d be a good pick up for the pats to fill in for Hightower in less Clay Matthews is still available