Could Brandon Marshall End Up in the NFC East?

By now, the news is widespread that wide receiver Brandon Marshall has asked the Denver Broncos for a trade. As usual, rumors have sprung up that the Eagles would be interested in acquiring a "true #1 wide receiver." Personally, I think Marshall's chances of becoming an Eagle are just about zero. However, there might be some familiar teams interested in him. Here is a look at the who and why:

The Dallas Cowboys:

Since the departure of Terrell Owens to Buffalo, questions have sprung up across the board if Roy Williams can take his place effectively. The numbers he has put up since being acquired from the Lions have been less than impressive: 2008 - 36 catches, 430 yards, 2 TD. There have been many excuses made for Roy, but the fact remains that he has yet to prove himself as a Cowboy (see the great article by Bye, Dawk :( for more details). While Tony Romo has a great target to throw to in Jason Witten, after Williams, there isn't much to look at on the WR depth chart. Unless someone steps up, more help will be needed.

It might be reasonable to say that the Cowboys would give Marshall a look seeing as it would give them two "big-name" wide receivers to brag about. Marshall's character issues would likely not even be a factor to the front office considering their track record (see Jones, Pacman, Johnson, Tank, and Owens, Terrell).

Likelihood: Medium

The New York Giants:

Much like the Cowboys' situation, the Giants have lost their number one receiver in Plaxico Burress this offseason. Unfortunately for New York, the losses run deeper with the departure of #2 WR Amani Toomer. Although they did draft two high-potential players in Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden, the fact remains that these two are rookies and may take some time to blossom into NFL starter quality (fortunately, they can't all be DeSean Jacksons).

Ever since Burress left, New York has been connected to every big-name receiver to hit the market and Brandon Marshall is no different. If the Broncos do decide to put him on the trading block, you can be the Giants will give him a look.

Likelihood: Medium-high

The Washington Redskins:

After their high-profile acquisition of free agent DT Albert Haynesworth and the quarterback rumors surrounding Jason Campbell/Jay Cutler/Mark Sanchez, the Redskins have quickly gained a reputation as an organization who wants to make a big splash this offseason. The NFC East is going to be an extremely hard-fought battle, and the Redskins will definitely need an edge if they hope to make it to the postseason. A one-two punch of Brandon Marshall and Santana Moss would be a force to be reckoned with.

After the departure of aging receiver James Thrash, the only additions to Washington's unremarkable receiving corps this offseason have been former Titan Roydell Williams (who didn't accumulate any stats on '08) and 7th-round compensatory pick Marko Mitchell out of Nevada. Since it looks like they'll have to make do with Campbell as their quarterback this season, upgrading at another offensive skill position could give the Skins that spark that they need to make the playoffs.

Likelihood: Medium

And, just for fun...

The Philadelphia Eagles:

Although the WR position is extremely crowded, the argument could be made that a one-two punch of Marshall and DeSean Jackson would be worth any cost. Personally, I think that with Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jeremy Maclin, and our great supporting cast that has yet to be finalized, the last thing we need is another troubled, diva wide receiver. We've been down that road. It didn't work out. Give it a rest.

What made me laugh was Bill Williamson's ESPN.com article on potential landing spots for Marshall. Along with the Redskins and Giants, he lists the Eagles with the reasoning:

Marshall has been compared to Terrell Owens on the field - not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing in the mind of the Eagles.

I think the choice is pretty clear. We've got a nice situation at WR with a big potential for growth. Don't mess with a good thing and stay away from Marshall.

Likelihood: Extremely low