Brandon Marshall's future with the Broncos beyond this season appears in question after the team benched him for Week 17.

The Seahawks and Rams could certainly use a playmaker of his caliber.

I'm not sure if either team would want to bother with Marshall's antics.

The Rams might be too young to welcome aboard such a player.

But the Seahawks could be a more intriguing possibility for a few reasons:

• Marshall would appear to fit their scheme and he would give them a badly needed difference maker on offense.

• Coach Jim Mora has experience dealing with high-maintenance players (DeAngelo Hall in Atlanta comes to mind). Perhaps Mora could reach Marshall and deal with him effectively.

• The Seahawks could offer receiver Deion Branch in return. Branch played for Broncos coach Josh McDaniels in New England and he would fit their scheme nicely. He is not a volatile personality.

• Seattle owns the Broncos' 2010 first-round choice, giving them extra ammuntion to make a trade. Teams love to recoup the picks they trade away.

Marshall is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He would become only a restricted free agent if the NFL fails to extend the collective bargaining agreement. In that case, the Broncos could tender him to a first-round choice, then work out a trade, with the new team working out a long-term deal.

Some trades make no sense from a salary-cap standpoint. This one could work. The Seahawks would save money under the salary cap if they traded Branch, whose deal runs through 2011. They could send Branch and the Broncos' first-round choice to Denver for Marshall and another draft choice or choices.

Everyone could be a winner.