New York Giants: Brandon Marshall’s impact on and off the field
Brandon Marshall’s imprint on the New York Giants 2017 season will be two-fold — helping production on the field, and leading a young receiving corps off it.
The New York Giants signed journeyman wide receiver Brandon Marshall to a two-year deal this offseason, providing Eli Manning with another tall, athletic target and complementing the receiving duo of Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepherd.
During his time spent with the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and New York Jets, Marshall was well received by fans and teammates (for the most part) and his stats spoke for themselves. Sure, he faced some personal demons during the period of time that his borderline personality disorder went undiagnosed. But Marshall bounced back to have a stellar career including six Pro Bowl appearances and, most recently, 17 touchdowns and over 2,200 receiving yards with the New York Jets.
It is clear to any Giants fan that he may not be one of the youngest receivers in the league, but the guy can still produce and that is exactly what he will do for the team — both on-and-off the field.
When the news of Marshall’s signing first broke, Giants fans immediately had flashbacks to the glory days of Eli and Plaxico Burress. Is this going to be the next dynamic QB-WR duo in the league? Will Marshall be bringing the ball down in the end zone for the winning touchdown in Super Bowl LII? Regardless of the end result, one thing is for sure, as the New York Post reported, Manning is pumped to have a big target on the field again:
"“He’s obviously a big target and smart, asks a lot of questions, he’s going to pick up the offense quickly. And he’s excited.”"
Manning is spot on with his thinking. Being an NFL veteran of over 10 years, Marshall will pick up the Giants offense and run (literally and figuratively) with it. Not only that, but he will know when to ask questions and what to ask about. This is the type of veteran presence Giants brass is hoping very much shines through and influences both Beckham and Shepherd from being around him on a daily basis.
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Of course Eli is excited about having a player his size back on the team. Marshall will not by any means dethrone Beckham at the top of the depth chart, but he will provide yet another dangerous option for Manning to look to. Marshall will present himself as a red zone target to a team that struggled mightily at getting in for six in the red zone and settled for way too many field goals. With the Giants offensive line struggles, Marshall will also provide Eli with another target to get the ball out quickly to.
His imprint will not stop there, as Marshall’s skill and advice will have great influence on Beckham this season. His presence will open the door for more big plays down the field for Beckham — in addition to opening up more lanes for him. Teams will be unable to double team Beckham with Marshall on the field, and vice versa. Going up against Beckham’s speed and freakish athletic talent one-on-one is enough to give any defensive back nightmares.
Speaking of nightmares, one of the saddest matchups of all time occurred last year: Odell Beckham Jr. vs. the kicking net. Let’s just say it wasn’t the best emotional year for the guy. His frustration level was sky high and opposing players fed like lions scoping out their prey. Naturally, the emotional struggles Marshall has gone through in his early years as a professional were much different due to his illness. But even Plaxico Burress believes Marshall can use those experiences to impart wisdom on the young superstar, per 247 Sports:
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"“Marshall is one of those players that can go talk to Odell during those tough times in a game so he doesn’t get so caught up in the moment and take away from the team. I really think [Marshall] is going to be an asset to him — not only emotionally, but also playing at the same time.”"
This concept doesn’t just apply to Beckham, but Shepherd as well, who is already looking up to Marshall in the locker room. Shepherd’s appreciation for Marshall goes way back to his high school days, where he used to watch the NFL Star’s highlight reels before hitting the field for the local matchup. Now he gets to learn directly from the player he used to idolize, per Newsday:
"“He’s been talking to me, giving me insight, being that veteran leader that he is,” Shepard said. “He’s teaching me a lot for the short time I’ve known him.”"
Shepherd will also receive help from Marshall on the field as well. The two may not match-up in terms of size, but having another target on the field will only free up more space for Shepherd to run wild. I mean, the guy almost surpassed Beckham last year, catching eight touchdown passes from Eli Manning as opposed to the 10 caught by OBJ. Yes, Beckham crushed him in terms of yardage, but you get my point.
As the offseason continues, the New York Giants will continue to pop up on Super Bowl prediction lists with that edition of Brandon Marshall–but the impact of having him on the team goes deeper than just his on-field productivity. Marshall’s time spent with Big Blue will serve as his true test–can he not only obtain that Super Bowl victory he has always yearned for, but can he also display his leadership and pass it on to the younger generation?
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Regardless of what ends up happening, Giants fans are happy Marshall chose to “end” his football career in Big Blue.