Should the Jets bring back Brandon Marshall in 2017?

As the New York Jets prepare for a tough offseason ahead, they should keep wide receiver Brandon Marshall for 2017 in the grand scheme of things.

Yes, wide receiver Brandon Marshall is having one of the worst years of his prolific career. When he was acquired by the New York Jets last year, he exceeded all expectations and was a difference maker. Fast forward just a year later and well, it’s a season that he and many others, as a matter of fact, want to completely forget about.

It’s not entirely on Marshall, however. When the Jets were able to re-sign quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the final hour before a deadline, nobody truly expected this disaster on offense. The Jets couldn’t score touchdowns in 1st and goal situations and all those turnovers absolutely destroyed this team from being in a position to win football games. Marshall had to deal with lots of double teams and terrible play at quarterback.

Marshall, however, has continued to be a professional both on and off the football field. With his past of always wanting to vent his frustrations to the media, he’s done his part to mainly stick to the task at hand.

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While Marshall might not put up the monster season he had in 2015 in which he caught a career-high 14 touchdowns, he is actually worth keeping for 2017. He might not be a No. 1 or even No. 2 receiver anymore but his leadership and ability to mentor all the young players around him is quite valuable.

Guys like Quincy Enunwa, Robby Anderson, Jalin Marshall and even Charone Peake could all continue to learn a whole lot from him. In a mentoring role as a savvy veteran, Marshall can deliver in this role and then some.

Considering that Marshall is still under contract with the Jets until 2018, it’s best to keep him for one more year to see if he can bounce back from 2016. With the hopeful return of wide receiver Eric Decker, Marshall will undoubtedly be even more motivated to finish what he started.

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Overall, since Marshall still has another year or so left of playing in the NFL, there is no questioning he’ll want another shot to end his career on a positive note. Hopefully, the Jets realize that his potential to still get the job done and help train others is still worth investing in, especially entering the final year of his original three-year contract.