Thread: Marshall vows to mentor fellow Bears receivers

I thought this was a nice non-canned response from Marshall. If his mentoring holds true Chicago won't be the place where WR's go to die anymore.

Marshall is one of the few elite WR's who has never let his off field issues or his dissatisfaction with his status with his team ever interfere with his productivity. Year after year even playing with the most mediocre of QB's he's continued to produce 1000 yard seasons. When Cutler brought his name up earlier this year I thought about their success here but as far as having him and his troubles playing for the Bears, no way!

That said, from all indications this is a changed man. If he's true to his word then his total and complete selfishness have gone away. For maybe the first time in his career he seems to have matured greatly and loves the situation he's in playing for the Bears. Nothing will be any better for the extension of his career than to playing with Cutler. These two will become one of the most dangerous passing duos in the NFL just as they were in Denver.

I think one of the keys to the Bears making this trade was the support Marshall got from both Cutler and Jeremy Bates. I can see at a point Phil Emery asking the question whether or not trading for Marshall would mean getting a huge difference maker on offense and could they work with him. Keep him focused on football and keep him away from the issues that have plagued his past. I guess he got an affirmative answer.

I was not in favor of trading for Marshall and if we'd had an opportunity to debate it here I would have been strongly opposed to it. But that would have been based on the old Brandon Marshall. From all appearances we traded for the new improved version. I'm glad to see him accept the responsibility of making the other receivers around him better. That should prove invaluable to a rookie like Jeffery and of course Hester gets a guy he can model himself after for the first time in his career.

Looks like our passing game just took a quantum leap and I'll very interested to see what it can do now that the talent and size is there.

Not sure I want a player who has had several off the field problems mentoring his fellow young receivers on their off the field behavior. Whether he is "cured" of his off the field issues or not.

On the field play though is another story. Mentor them on how to conduct themselves ON the field. But not off.

Sorry, but no matter how cured he thinks he is, I don't want him mentoring them on their off the field behavior.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Not sure I want a player who has had several off the field problems mentoring his fellow young receivers on their off the field behavior. Whether he is "cured" of his off the field issues or not.

On the field play though is another story. Mentor them on how to conduct themselves ON the field. But not off.

Sorry, but no matter how cured he thinks he is, I don't want him mentoring them on their off the field behavior.

I believe just the opposite Benji. Nobody is a better teacher of what not to do than the guy whose been there and done that. I think Marshall "gets it" now and even his behavior and comments about what happened in NY are pretty telling as far as that goes.

Some leopards can and do change their spots. Nobody is better at mentoring an alcoholic than another alcoholic whose sobered up and been there before. One member of my family was a juvenile delinquent (old terminology I know) with a score of teenage crimes including auto theft. He turned his life around and became a police officer and ran the juvenile division on his police force. Eventually he became a captain and finally chief of police.

If Marshall has truly turned the corner on his past he the perfect guy to be mentoring the others.

Originally Posted by soulman

I believe just the opposite Benji. Nobody is a better teacher of what not to do than the guy whose been there and done that. I think Marshall "gets it" now and even his behavior and comments about what happened in NY are pretty telling as far as that goes.

Some leopards can and do change their spots. Nobody is better at mentoring an alcoholic than another alcoholic whose sobered up and been there before. One member of my family was a juvenile delinquent (old terminology I know) with a score of teenage crimes including auto theft. He turned his life around and became a police officer and ran the juvenile division on his police force. Eventually he became a captain and finally chief of police.

If Marshall has truly turned the corner on his past he the perfect guy to be mentoring the others.

would you allow someone with a history of DUIs to drive you around or teach you or your kids to drive? Sorry, but the history is against him

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

would you allow someone with a history of DUIs to drive you around or teach you or your kids to drive? Sorry, but the history is against him

One has nothing to do with the other. First of all it's not a DUI and second they aren't kids. They're adults and there's a huge difference. History......ah yes but there you go looking in that rear view mirror again.

Marshall has been nothing but a positive ever since he arrived and he has his teammates backing him up on that. Benji you're usually not this pessimistic. Why this time?

I'll disagree with the thought that the best mentors are those who have never screwed up. That may be true of children or teenagers but I don't believe that holds true for adults. I believe we have more admiration for someone who has screwed up and turned their life around than the teacher who was always Mr. Perfect.

It begs the question what type of personality do you prefer? Tim Tebow who seemingly goes through life with a halo on his head and an angel of each arm or Brandon Marshall who learned from his mistakes and is turning what was once a weakness rather than a strength?

Even Jesus preferred to spend his efforts on the sinners of the world not the falsely pious and holy.