New York Jets: Is rebound year coming for Brandon Marshall?

Earlier in the off-season, the New York Jets acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Chicago Bears in a trade and only had to give up a fifth round pick to get him. The Jets needed an all-star wide receiver that they can rely on to stretch the field and go up to make plays on the ball. Last season with the Bears, Marshall had a considerable drop in his stat line which led to the Bears dumping him for cap room.

Marshall showed his excitement with his new team in a conversation with Eric Allen, take a look at what he said:

"“Being able to be in New York with Coach Bowles, I thought, was an amazing opportunity and one that I thought I couldn’t pass up.”"

Marshall talked about how excited he was to have another opportunity to be an elite #1 receiver. But is Marshall able to bounce back and have a rebound year? From 2013 to 2014, Marshall dropped from almost 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns to barely 700 yards and eight touchdowns. Only time will tell but lets look at some other notable wide receivers that have had bounce back years after switching teams.

Plaxico Burress spent the first five years of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers then signed a six year deal with the New York Giants. Burress best years were in Pittsburgh however, he still made an impact with the Giants. His first year with the team he recorded 76 receptions 1,200+ yards and seven touchdowns

One that all Jets fans know and hate is Wes Welker. Welker was traded to the New England Patriots in 2007 for a second and seventh round pick. His first year as a Patriot, Welker racked up 112 receptions, 1,175 yards, and eight touchdowns. That’s pretty good for being a receiver that was behind Randy Moss and has a quarterback that throws the ball around to everyone instead of targeting just his favorite guys.

Now we’re going to go a little old school. That’s right, Jerry Rice was cut by the San Francisco 49ers to help the salary cap. After 16 seasons with the 49ers, Rice wasn’t ready to quit so he signed with the Oakland Raiders. In his first season with the Raiders, Rice recorded 83 receptions 1,139 yards and nine touchdowns. Rice went to a good team and made them even better. The Raiders lost their first season with Rice in the playoffs due to the tuck rule, but the next year he came back and helped take them to the Superbowl.

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Another historic rebound that ties in with an earlier mention is Randy Moss. Moss was traded from the Raiders to the Patriots in 2007 for nothing more than a fourth round pick. His first season with the Patriots he grabbed 98 receptions, 1,493 yards, and a ridiculous 23 touchdowns. Moss was able to rebound like no other wide receiver has in the history of the game.

Lastly we’ll finish with the one and only Marshall himself. Yes, Marshall was once a member of the Miami Dolphins before being traded to the Bears and before that he was on the Denver Broncos. He is no stranger to coming to new teams and picking up a new offense rather quickly. Marshall’s first year with the Bears he recorded 118 receptions, 1,508 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

So we can’t really say for sure if Marshall will have an amazing bounce back year, but he has done it before so we know it’s possible for him. Plus being traded for only a fifth round pick when you are one of the best receivers in the league has to be added fuel to step up and make the Bears regret this decision every single Sunday this upcoming season.

Next: Coffee with the New York Jets: Dee Milliner must prove himself

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