New York Jets would be smart to move on from Brandon Marshall
Dec 5, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) catches a pass during the pre-game warmups for a game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Marshall is a talented Wide Receiver, but the New York Jets would be better off without him on the team.

This isn’t meant as a knock on Brandon Marshall‘s career as an NFL Wide Receiver. He was a talented player who literally changed defensive gameplans.

Unfortunately, for him, the New York Jets no longer need his services.

Let’s face it: 2017 is going to be a rebuilding year for the New York Jets. It would be in their best interest to clear out older veterans, who make a significant chunk of change, in order to get younger and to change the culture.

2015 Marshall was an explosive playmaker who had the best year of his career. With over 1,500 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns amassed, expectations were high in 2016. The Jets offense, however, floundered.

Was poor quarterback play the reason for Marshall’s down year of only 788 yards and three touchdowns? Yes, but only partially.

He didn’t look like the same player. He wasn’t winning any battles and was continuously getting outworked by far inferior corners. Not to mention he was second in the league in drops with eight on the season.

His play in 2016 wasn’t good enough and at 32 and on the decline, it’s not worth keeping him on this team. It’s time the Jets start thinking about their future by looking to 2018 and beyond as 2017 is expected to be a year when the Jets work through one serious facelift.

At the start of next season, B-Marsh will be 33 and in the last year of his contract. Is a 34-year-old Marshall going to help the Jets? The answer is: no – so they’re not going to re-sign him anyway.

Can a WR – even on rare occasion – still have an impact at age 34? Even if you believe Marshall’s down year in 2016 was solely based on QB play, how do you think he will be in a year or two? The answer is: not as effective as he was in 2015 at age 31.

In 2017, he’s due $7.5 million. If the Jets elect to cut him, they will save that $7.5 million as none of it is guaranteed.

It makes no sense to keep a guy on the roster who won’t help in the future. Having him on the roster in 2017 would actually hurt the Jets.

He would be taking receptions away from Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa  (who are 23 and 24 by the way), each of whom possesses a ton of potential and can help the Jets down the road.

Or, the Jets could opt to use the money saved on Marshall to invest in other areas of need.

Marshall’s 2015 season will always be remembered, and it was one of the most fun Jets teams I’ve seen, especially from an offensive point of view.

Unfortunately, the NFL is a business. There’s no room under a salary cap for sentimental value. The brutal reality is that in order for the Jets to be competitive down the road, they are going to have to part ways with Brandon Marshall.

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I'm a Jets, Islanders and Mets fan from Long Island. I'm the General Manager of my college radio station WFTU Riverhead where I also do a sports talk show called "This Week In Sports". In addition to ESNY I'm a co-editor of EyesOnIsles.com. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take -Wayne Gretzky" -Michael Scott