Brandon Marshall a No-Show at Broncos Mandatory Minicamp

Two weeks ago, Brandon Marshall said he was staying away from Denver Broncos workouts because he wanted to rehab his surgically repaired hip at home in Florida. That his decision was made just after making a request for a raise was just a coincidence, or so he said.

That claim became a lot harder to believe on Friday when Marshall failed to appear for the start of the Broncos' mandatory minicamp. CBS4 in Denver is reporting that Marshall is in the city and will meet with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen on Friday afternoon.

The meeting may clear up why Marshall wasn't at Broncos camp today, but there are clearly some issues that need to be ironed out.

In addition to his desire for a new contract, Marshall has also expressed displeasure with the way the team's medical staff handled his injury last season. On his website, Marshall wrote that he had two MRIs last season and was told that there was no damage to his hip. That turned out not to be true, a fact that's obviously contributing to the rift between team and player.

The problems with the medical staff would probably be cleared up with a new contract, but it's hard to see where that's forthcoming. Marshall's off-field issues make him something of a risky bet for a long-term deal, and the lack of a collective bargaining agreement beyond this season means he'll only be a restricted free agent after the 2009 campaign.

That robs him of a lot of his leverage, and his failure to take part in team activities can't enamor him to a new coaching staff that has already shown a willingness to radically revamp an offense rather than deal with unhappy star players.