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Saturday Media Transcript: WR Brandon Marshall

Eric from BBI : Admin : 7/29/2017 3:35 pm
WR Brandon Marshall

July 29, 2017

Q: You spent a lot of time FaceTiming with QB Eli Manning over the offseason, do you feel more comfortable having gone through those sessions?

A: Absolutely. You know, that’s the key to being a really good football player, really not thinking. The only way you can get to that level is by having excellent preparation. Really understanding your job, really understanding the offense. Right now, I am further along than I was, obviously, in the spring. I’m not where I need to be, but that’s what training camp is for.

Q: Take us through the first play where you beat out Janoris Jenkins. What was that like?

A: It felt good. You hear a lot of talk about being over 30 and then there’s an extreme drop off. So for me that play was awesome because it was really the first play of training camp because it’s the first time going against the defense. Being the new guy, you want to prove yourself. Secondly, I want to prove to myself that I can still do it. So, making a play that could possibly be, maybe not the top 10 plays, but possibly the top 20 felt good. I was like, okay I can still do this.

Q: Talk about the secondary, specifically Landon Collins, and what you’ve seen from them so far.

A: Obviously, I’ve been on “Inside the NFL” the last three years, so we get a change to watch guys from across the league. You don’t really get the opportunity when you don’t have a gig like that. I remember being in production meetings and watching him mic’d up and the way he led stood out to me. To be honest, I’d never heard of him before last year and the thing that stood out was who is this guy, one. Two, I really haven’t seen anyone lead that way since Brian Dawkins. For him to be so young I thought it was even more impressive. He’s a stud. You don’t get better than that at that position.

Q: What’s the challenge coming into this year after having such big years in the past?

A: What I’ve learned is you win in the offseason. It’s all about preparation and how you carry yourself in the offseason. Your approach to the gym, your approach to the track, your approach to studying film, and he wanted that. He wanted that every single day, you know. When he was here, he was one of the hardest working guys in the building. Then he went down back home to Louisiana and worked extremely hard with his guys down there. I think he worked out with Ryan Clark. So, being able to follow these guys on social media these days you can keep track of them. So, he was one of those guys that, you know, worked extremely hard.

Q: There was one catch that you seemed to beat yourself up about. Talk about what was going through your head during that.

A: It’s timing, it was there. You know, that’s where Eli was supposed to go with the ball and as a receiver, you got to build that chemistry with your quarterback. What I did wasn’t wrong if it was a different offense. I throttled in the zone and Eli wants you to run through it. So, it wasn’t like I slowed down but I bursted through that first hole and I would’ve caught the ball. So literally, I was like a foot away from making a big play for the team, but I missed it because of that timing. So now, I got it and I won’t make that mistake again.

Q: So last year, what you did would’ve been correct?

A: Yeah because Eli, I think he’s third in the league with getting the ball out, so as a receiver when you get in and out breaks you got to get your head around. Playing with other guys that had strong arms, you know, there’s some guys that have strong arms and they wait to see if you’re open. Eli, he has a very good arm, and he also has amazing timing. So, that’s the difference. Eli is one of the best at getting the ball out fast, and as a receiver you’ve got to get your head around and you got to run.

Q: How long do you think you’ll be on the same page and stop thinking so much, like you said?

A: I mean, I can’t answer that. It takes plays like that, right? To be really good in the league you can’t make the same mistakes twice. You’ve got to be able to coach and be coached up on the fly. I was able to see it and feel it, and I went to the side and talked to Eli about it a little bit, and now I know when I have that route, I’ll hit it in there a little faster.

Q: When you see Odell Beckham Jr. making big plays, do you think ‘Wow the defense is going to have watch him so much, that’s good for me?’

A: Yes. Absolutely, that’s why I came here, because of him. I’m tired of getting double coverage and vised in the red zone. I’ll let him freakin’ carry all the weight.

Q: It’s only the first couple days of training camp, so it’s a little early to tell, but do you think you’re developing a good chemistry and repertoire with Odell and some of your fellow wide receivers?

A: Yeah, I think so. I think we’re in a great place. We still have a lot of work to do. That stuff takes time. We still haven’t put a lot of effort into doing things off the field yet because we haven’t had the time, but that’s where you really build those relationships to get through the good and the bad times. We’ll get there.

Q: Do some of the younger guys look up to you as a locker room leader? Do they ask you about the NFL experience and about having success in this league?

A: Yeah. It was pretty interesting. A couple of months ago… (pause) this might be a little rated R, but walking in the showers, and there was this guy. He was like, ‘Man, Brandon. I remember watching you when I was in middle school!’ Like, what? (Laughs) I can tell how old I’m getting, right? I got a teammate who was literally watching me in the NFL when he was in middle school. That kind of shocked me a little bit. I have a lot of experiences, good and bad, that these guys can pull from.

Q: What’s the best lesson you can impart on these guys?

A: You know what? When you’re younger, you have this sense of entitlement. When you’re younger, you think you have a lot of time. When you get older, you really understand how precious every single day is. Every rep, every practice, every game. I guess for me, it’s embracing this moment, this once in a lifetime opportunity. It really is a privilege to be here. They’ve earned it. The National Football League has been around for a long time, and it’s going to be here long after we’re gone. Don’t have that sense of entitlement and really understand that it really is a blessing every time we step out on the field.

Q: You’re trying to learn a new system and a new organization, but guys I assume are coming up to you for advice and for questions. Is that a hard balance to strike?

A: I don’t think so. I think that’s just part of the game for everyone, in all sports. That’s what the locker room is about: holding each other accountable and just leaning on each other.

Q: With Odell here, are you okay with being the number two guy? Is the important thing winning as opposed to getting the most catches?

A: No, it’s all important. I‘m not going to sit here and lie to you guys about that. As a receiver, that’s what makes us great, but that’s also what holds us back. You have to be able to check your ego. It’s definitely about winning, but at the same time, guys want to perform as well. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve had 100 catches several times, done some amazing things, went to some Pro Bowls. The only thing that I haven’t checked off is being able to earn one of those Lombardi trophies.

Q: When a guy like Odell puts out a video and says he wants to be the highest-paid player in the league, how much is that something that you guys talk about in the locker room, maybe not necessarily him, but with your teammates?

A: I think anything that happens in New York, you get a lot of attention. You sit in the cafeteria and the New York Giants are always on NFL Network and ESPN. It’s one of the things where you have to deal with it. If you want to be a good player in New York, if you want to be a great team in New York, you have to be able to... and Coach McAdoo, he said it twice already in camp. ‘Enjoy it, it’s a blessing.’ You look out and you see this amazing skyline in New York City, but you can’t let that stuff overwhelm you. Odell obviously is the best player in the NFL, and he’s going to get a lot of attention on and off the field. As a teammate, you have to be there to support him. You have to be able to deal with that as well because he’s not even a superstar, he’s a rock star. It’s something that our NFL has never seen before. This guy’s a global icon at the age of what, 24 or 25?

Q: Monetarily, do you feel like he should be paid like the best player in the NFL when quarterbacks set that market?

A: Yeah… You know what? That’s part of the NFL’s negotiations. There are some good negotiators, there are some bad negotiators. I’ve found that it gets sticky when you put your head in another teammate’s business. All you can do is support him because, as a player, you understand you only get a few years to really maximize your earnings. But then there’s the team side where you have to understand, you have to do your best for the team. He’s put in the work, and I think Mr. John Mara has already come out and said he’s earned a new check. We’ll see what happens.

Brandon's a great interview  
bigblue1124 : 7/30/2017 7:37 am : link
I really did not like this guy earlier in his career amazing how much he has matured.

I am looking forward seeing him on the field he could be a game changer for us.
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