After months of negotiations, the Broncos were able to secure a four-year contract extension with LB Brandon Marshall, the team announced Tuesday. The four-year deal is worth $32 million with with $20 million in guarantees between 2017-2020, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

#Broncos & LB Brandon Marshall have a new extension as @MikeKlis & @TroyRenck said. 4 yrs, $32M with $20M in guarantees. Through 2020. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 14, 2016

After watching multiple key players from last season’s historic defense, depart for large paydays, Broncos fans can rest easy, knowing that one of the most important members of Denver’s stout defense will be staying in the orange and blue for the near future.

Marshall recently landed a spot on Pro Football Focus’ 101 best NFL players right now, coming in at No. 85 overall. Marshall has played a key role in the Broncos defense for the past two seasons, starting nearly every game and finishing as one of the team’s leading tacklers in both 2014 and 2015.

Marshall’s stability in the middle allows Wade Phillips to be aggressive on the outside with the stable of pass-rushers currently on the roster, and his effectiveness against both the pass and run makes him a three-down player for the Denver defense.

The Broncos have a lot of depth on the outside with Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett; but with departure of both Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson this offseason, the Broncos will need Marshall in the middle, more than ever.

Coming out of the University of Nevada, Marshall has shown improvement each year in a Broncos uniform and has developed into one of the most complete linebackers in the league.

His ability to cover tight ends in the passing game, contributed to the Broncos stellar pass defense last season, but where Marshall really made his impact was in the run-game, where he is a lockdown tackler and has terrific vision.

This season, Marshall will need to step up and lead younger players like Cory Nelson and Todd Davis in the middle of the field. Marshall elevated his game to a new level in the 2015-16 season and got paid a pretty penny for his efforts. Now that Marshall has the money, Broncos fans will hope to get similar production, if not improved, this season.

I expect Marshall to be the same impact player that he has been in each of the past two seasons. Locking up Marshall is crucial for the foundation of the defense moving forward and helps solidify the depth at linebacker.

Now that the Broncos have Marshall secured, John Elway will look to reach a contract agreement with Von Miller.