It wasn't long ago that Brandon Marshall fit the stereotype of a NFL wide receiver perfectly. There were plenty of highlight grabs and touchdowns, but also plenty of prima donna Keyshawn-esque moments of demanding the ball. Off the field Marshall racked up a slew of legal troubles and has been arrested multiple times, which made the question, "is this guy worth the trouble?" an often-asked one. Thanks to treatment for his borderline personality disorder plus the maturation into a team leader, the only trouble surrounding Marshall now is how defenses are going to go about stopping him. Whereas Marshall seemed to have once studied the Randy Moss Guide to Being a NFL Wide Receiver, he has now taken a leaf out of Larry Fitzgerald's book and simply let his play do the talking. No longer does he pop up on Sportscenter for arrests or suspensions, but instead for putting up All-Pro numbers. In his first season with the Chicago Bears last year Marshall had a career year, racking up career highs in receptions (118), yards (1,508) and touchdowns (11). The Bears need that type of production from him, but they also need his leadership.
Two years ago Marshall wasn't exactly the guy coaches wanted to mentor their rookie wide receivers. Now, he's the perfect man for the job as second-year wideout Alshon Jeffery looks to improve off of an up-and-down rookie season. Marshall has always been a precise route-runner, but now he is in a position to pass on knowledge to Jeffery and other young receivers about things like playing smart (Green Bay, Week 15) and not letting emotions get the best of them (Washington, Preseason Game 2).
By treating his BPO and maturing, Marshall has given the Bears exactly what they need and has given himself the opportunity to fully show off his talent. Chicago is the farthest thing from a wide receiver factory and Marshall basically rewrote the record book in just one season. He owns the franchise records for single-season receptions and yards and he became the first Bear to record 1,000+ receiving yards and make the Pro Bowl since 2002. Chicago has longed for a playmaker at the wide receiver position for years and now they have a top five guy in Marshall.
Chicago is in a tough division and the defense lost their heart and soul with the retirement of Brian Urlacher. To overcome Green Bay and Minnesota the offense will have to score more, while the defense will have to continue it's stellar play. Marshall will again be Jay Cutler's top target and, if the offensive line can keep Cutler upright, these two can work wonders. Hopefully, their work translates to a playoff appearance -- somewhere Marshall has never been in his career.
Brandon Marshall's maturity pays dividends in multiple ways for he and the Bears. He stays on the field, performs at a high level and doesn't cause distractions. Being asked to mature and harness a disorder is no easy task, but Marshall did it. That should make the Bears' next request sound pretty simple -- how about another career year?
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