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Brandon Marshall handed out a 12-page packet of evidence and legal information before starting a press conference in September. (Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune)
Brandon Marshall handed out a 12-page packet of evidence and legal information before starting a press conference in September. (Chris Walker, Chicago Tribune)

Bears fans might want to get used to the idea of Brandon Marshall wearing a different uniform in 2015.

Today’s report from Brad Biggs confirms the Bears are open to the idea of trading Marshall, a development that surprises no one given how non-committal general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox were regarding the wide receiver at the NFL Combine last month.

Intentional or not, the Bears opened the market on both Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler in Indianapolis and, in Marshall’s case, it’s likely we’re hearing some buzz because activity tends to pick up as the new league year (March 10) approaches.

But be careful. Your expectations for a potential Brandon Marshall trade should remain low. It won’t be easy to move a 30-year-old wide receiver carrying a $9.5 cap hit, three hip surgeries and an unlimited amount of baggage.

And don’t forget about Marshall’s TV show, which could easily stand in the way of a trade. Marshall maintains he would like to continue to travel to New York on Tuesdays during the season to film Showtime’s “Inside The NFL” and it’s unclear how many teams would be willing to put up with that. My guess? Not many.

Any team interested in Marshall would hold more leverage regarding the television show if the wide receiver was unemployed on the open market — and they’d likely get him for less than the current $9.5 cap hit that would carry over in a trade.

The Bears desperately need more draft picks and they’re probably hoping Marshall will return a fourth or fifth round pick in a trade, but that seems unlikely given the decent wide receiver free agent market and strong draft class.

So, the question is: if the Bears can’t trade Marshall, will they be willing to release him? If they’re this interested in trading a guy they know they won’t get much for in return, there’s a good chance that answer is yes.

Bears Reportedly Interested In Mariota

Another story creating a stir today comes via ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, who told Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic that the Bears are “very interested in (Marcus) Mariota.”

That information came from Mariota’s agents, and like most NFL Draft information this time of year, you need to be cautious when trusting it. For Mariota and his agents, it’s smart for them to drum up as much interest as possible.

That said, no one should be surprised by the idea that the Bears would be interested in the Oregon quarterback. If Pace and Fox aren’t going to commit to Jay Cutler, then you know they are going to be looking at every possible replacement option. And if you made a list right now of all the quarterback options available via free agency and the NFL Draft, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota would be the top two options. Thus, if they aren’t showing interest in Mariota, they aren’t doing their jobs.

In fact, at this point, I’d be surprised if Mariota isn’t brought in to Halas Hall for an official visit before the draft.

Adam Hoge covers the Chicago Bears for WGN Radio and WGNRadio.com. He also co-hosts The Beat, weekends on 720 WGN. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.