Marshall wants to make presence felt during camp

Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News

Friday, August 10, 2007

ENGLEWOOD - This was supposed to be the training camp for Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall.

The one where he made a claim for a starting spot, the one where he really started to tap into the vast reservoir of talent those around him say he has.

Instead, his first 11 days of Broncos summer camp have been summed up this way by coach Mike Shanahan: "He looks good on the treadmill."

Marshall, who originally pulled his left thigh muscle during the team's July minicamp, has yet to practice with the team and as of this morning has missed 11 days of two-a-day work.

He won't play in the preseason opener Monday in San Francisco and says his hope is to be able to practice at least some against the Dallas Cowboys in combined workouts next week.

"I'm definitely ready to get out there and run around a little bit," Marshall said. "It's one of those things when you're hurt, you'd do anything to get back out there. When you see the team running out there making plays and jelling together and getting that chemistry and you're not part of it, you want to be out there and part of it that much more.

"It's definitely taken a toll on me."

Marshall, who has spent the bulk of his days working with the team's trainers or strength and conditioning coaches, says he still feels "weak" at times in the leg, especially when he makes an aggressive cut.

But beyond the fact the Broncos, because of Rod Smith's left hip surgery, were looking to get Marshall into the offensive game plan early during training camp, there also is the matter of how an injury early last season spiraled the 23-year-old into a two-month funk.

"Right now, I know the toughest thing is to stay in it mentally, keeping up in the playbook," Marshall said. "I'm definitely frustrated. It can take a toll on you physically and mentally. You've got to be able to handle it.

"It's life. Tough people, strong people, they take on whatever is thrown at them pretty good. That's what I'm trying to do."

In the preseason opener last year in Detroit, Marshall tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and through the early going went on to struggle with his assignments and on-field approach even after his return from the injury.

The Broncos eventually became frustrated enough to largely move Marshall out of the rotation at receiver and play him on special teams until Shanahan moved him back into the No. 3 receiver spot for the Broncos' Nov. 19 game against San Diego.

Marshall stayed at No. 3 the rest of the way in 2006, finishing with 20 receptions, including a replay-worthy 71-yard catch and run for a touchdown against Seattle in early December.

In all, 18 of those 20 receptions and 287 of his 309 receiving yards came during the final seven games of the season.

"I do think I've done better this time. This is just a process that I have to go through and strengthen my leg to where I can go out there and compete," Marshall said. "I want to be at the best of my ability when I go back out there."

Shanahan said Thursday he didn't know when Marshall would be back on the field.

With Smith out and Brandon Stokley (left thigh), Glenn Martinez (right thigh) and Marquay McDaniel (left hamstring) having missed practice time, the Broncos usually have found themselves wafer thin at the position simply to get through a day's practice.

At one point during Wednesday's morning practice, three receivers were on the ground at the same time, getting stretched by the team's training staff, trying to get loose as they went through team drills.

"Happens every year," Shanahan said. "It's not always the wide receiver position, but it always happens. That's just the nature of camp, always will be. You've just got to push through it."

Marshall said he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his leg Monday to gauge the progress. He said, for the most part, the report was good, but he still could not pinpoint a return date.

"It showed that it's healing, and definitely that's a good sign, that's a positive," Marshall said. "But I have to keep working. I want to be back out there. I do."

legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2359