Wide receiver Brandon Marshall signed with the Giants well ahead of the start of their offseason program, which gave him plenty of time to learn their offense before the team went on their pre-training camp break last month.
Marshall’s experience should also help when it comes to getting things down before the start of the regular season, but he’s making use of the time off to make sure he’s doing everything the way quarterback Eli Manning wants it done. Marshall shared a video of a FaceTime session with Manning on his Instagram account that saw him talking about how quickly he needs to get off the line on a particular play.
During an appearance on ESPN Radio last week, Marshall said Manning has been helpful and provides plenty of insight thanks to a mind that Marshall thinks is the sharpest he’s been around in the NFL.
“A lot of people kill Eli -- and I’ve been one to look back and kind of have fun with it a few times, too -- but he always has this face,” Marshall said. “People are like, ‘Why is he always looking like that?’ And I truly believe it’s because he’s always thinking. Like he is one of the smartest guys I’ve been around. And I’ve been around some smart quarterbacks,” Marshall said Wednesday on ESPN Radio. "[Ryan] Fitzpatrick, extremely smart. Even Jay Cutler, extremely smart. Eli Manning, I’ve never seen anything like this guy. His brain never stops.”
Marshall’s arrival as a bigger receiver to play on the outside of the offense gives Manning something the team has been missing the last few years. If Marshall performs as he has in his best seasons, the Giants front office will join Manning in looking pretty smart.