Resurrection at hand for Broncos' Marshall

Wide receiver is given green light for team activities

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Friday, June 27, 2008

Photo by David Zalubowski / Associated Press

Broncos injured wide receiver Brandon Marshall, left, with quarterback Jay Cutler during a workout in May, was cleared this week to fully participate in team activities.

Not all news is bad news for Brandon Marshall.

As it relates to his career on the field, away from police reports and his tumultuous love life, things couldn't be better, all things considered.

The Broncos wide receiver, coming off extensive surgery in March to repair a gashed right forearm, was cleared to fully participate in team activities this week. Marshall resumed full weightlifting and conditioning work to augment his rehabilitation regimen Monday.

Most important, to his employer and its fans, he started freely catching passes with both hands and encountered no problems.

"I guess I'm a fast healer," Marshall said. "I feel great. And if we had a game today, I'd be in it. I'm full-speed ahead now, leaving all that stuff behind me."

As the week began, Marshall's three "arms" delivering him the ball were backup quarterback Darrell Hackney, strength coach Rich Tuten and a Jugs machine.

At one point, Tuten, while tossing the ball to Marshall in the weight room, reportedly sailed a high fastball that Marshall snared solely with his right hand.

Marshall later would repeat that feat in an on-field drill Thursday, with quarterback Patrick Ramsey delivering the ball.

"Patrick was like, 'Was that your bad hand?' " Marshall said. "And I was like, 'Yup, it sure was.' "

It was one of the key points in Marshall's three-month recovery.

"I knew I could catch the ball straight on or anywhere close to my body, but when it was away from me and I had to extend, I wasn't sure," Marshall said. "I put myself through all those situations, and I haven't dropped the ball yet."

The way Marshall's hand feels now - "almost 100 percent," as he described it - has only made him more secure that he'll deliver on his public promise of a second straight 100-catch season. Only now, he has some basis for his bravado.

"As long as I've got feeling in my hand, in my palm, I can catch," he said. "I still can feel a little numbness in the back of my hand, but as far as my palm is concerned, I can feel just fine."

Hackney, who threw to Marshall several times this week, played against him in college, threw to him in Arizona before the draft and has been his teammate in Denver. That makes him somewhat of an expert on the receiver's game.

"You wouldn't have known at all," Hackney said of Marshall's current state of health. "And I threw balls all kinds of ways. I wanted him to make acrobatic catches, one-handed catches. He made them all. I don't see nothing wrong with his arm."

Marshall allegedly was hurt while roughhousing with his brother, Fred, on March 21 at an Orlando, Fla., resort, incurring damage to an artery, vein, nerve, tendons and muscles. In hindsight, he nearly experienced a worst-case scenario in his career.

"I was centimeters and millimeters away from cutting the nerve (affecting) my palm," he said. "That would have been dangerous."

Marshall has kept up with his conditioning in recent weeks before his full clearance date Monday. The work with Tuten immediately paid off in that Marshall reported that his initial foray into the eight 150-yard on-field sprints with his teammates resulted in him leading the group each time.

But Marshall cautioned that there's still much more work to be done to get his body right. He'll remain in town during the next month, even as the offseason strength program comes to its official conclusion in a couple of weeks. The plan is to better transform his current running shape into the type of conditioning he'll need to thrive when two-a-day training camp practices begin July 25.

"I want to be accountable on the field, as far as being in shape and making the plays I was making last year and also making the plays I wasn't able to last year," he said. "I'm still pushing for the same goals that I set before I cut my arm, and as long as I stay focused, I will achieve that."

That tunnel vision has proved elusive since Marshall's breakout 2007 season. Besides his injury and recovery, recent revelations have surfaced that he was involved in another domestic episode with former girlfriend Rasheeda Watley. That put Marshall in the headlines again for off-field transgressions that too often have marked his two NFL seasons and eventually could lead to league discipline.

Given that troubling backdrop, Marshall was asked whether attaining his goals will prove more difficult since those issues, and a DUI trial set for September in Denver, remain unresolved and are sure to be persistent themes next season.

"It has been a rough offseason for me because of various situations," he said. "But it's one of those things where you want to compete, and I'm competing against myself, against doubters. And it does nothing but drive me to prove people wrong that I can do the right things and will do the right things and will make great plays. That's all it is. It just drives me to be better all around."

• June 27, 2008

  6:35 p.m.

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  firstfan writes:

  I like his attitude!

• June 27, 2008

  8:07 p.m.

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  Broncoflow writes:

  This last sentence says it all from B-Marsh....

  “But it’s one of those things where you want to compete, and I’m competing against myself, against doubters. And it does nothing but drive me to prove people wrong that I can do the right things and will do the right things and will make great plays. That’s all it is. It just drives me to be better all around.”

  You still have much to learn. Who cares about "making plays" at this point. You have a harder time being a good person than you do catching a football. When it comes to the game of life, you couldn't catch a cold. Keep working B....

• June 27, 2008

  9:42 p.m.

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  MUHA writes:

  I thought he hurt his arm, not the palm of his hand, wouldn't that mean that when he got stabbed by a knife, no I mean cut with a piece of glass that would have affected his hand. I mean isn't the palm, part of the hand?

  I don't get this guy, to many different stories. I think when all is said and done, he won't be here anymore for it to really matter.

  Oh Well, on with my day,

• June 27, 2008

  10:05 p.m.

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  tmcd writes:

  I really want to be a Brandon Marshall fan because he has all the talent in the world and tons of charisma, but it's starting to get hard. I am still hopeful he can get it together.

• June 28, 2008

  1:08 a.m.

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  BroncoFaninLA writes:

  MUHA:

  The nerve to the palm of his hand (actually there are several) runs through his forearm, which is what he injured. It starts in the neck and runs down the arm. I agree his explanation of the circumstances surrounding his injury and his general immaturity show a lack of responsibility on his part, but he did get this right. And he is indeed a lucky guy, if stupid.

• June 28, 2008

  3:38 a.m.

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  LOUIE writes:

  Right or wrong, the world makes excuses for bad boys we like, usually they are top shelf performers. Not many in our great society, but perhaps 2-5% of our society, can do the job we the paying public ask of them in the arena of ultimate physical abilities. We enviously gripe about thier million dollar paydays, thier off court social problems, but when they suit up, they had better earn our forgiveness and play a superior game. Way it's always been since as far back as Babe Ruth; the Babe was America's ultimate bad boy for his time. Why do we immortalize the Babe? Because he suited up and was one of the best. So whats new in the world?

• June 28, 2008

  7:45 a.m.

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  hdfresh writes:

  It is definately good to hear that he is catching balls without any major problems. What a relief!

• June 28, 2008

  11:10 a.m.

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  JSpicoli writes:

  What a relief! Now he can beat women with both hands. I bet he's glad that he played well last year so he could keep his job regardless of how he acts off the field. Enjoy your turd and your hypocrisy Donkey Fan.

• June 28, 2008

  11:25 a.m.

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  Brain writes:

  Hopefully he can get his act together personally (stay away from the x) and can play a full season; which is not likely because of his DUI charge.
  Great player, hope he still has a future in Denver.

• June 28, 2008

  11:32 a.m.

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  jibbons writes:

  nice post Louie, I didn't realize Babe was a bad boy. The thing that seems to get lost in all the fan chatter about character is that these guys still have to be the best of the best for any of it to matter. Personally I would say that Travis, Javon, and Ian would still be here if they performed, despite their locker room and off field antics.

  In the end I would take even a Randy Moss if he could perform like he did last year. Thats because I watch football to see my team win, not to be able to brag about the high character of my losing team.

• June 28, 2008

  12:30 p.m.

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  silverdug writes:

  If you think that you are a true Broncos fan, keep your mind on football, not the players...
  Do you think your comments will change Brandon Marshall? See him as a player, keep your critics open when the season will go on.
  Suppose and l wish it he has a sensational season, will you at that time care of his private life?
  Please be constructive fans, not demoting it with your stupid comments.
  May we talk again next December end?

• June 28, 2008

  8:57 p.m.

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  Rocksteady writes:

  It's incredible how people take these stories and shove it right back in the dude's face. He's been out of trouble for a little while, he's publicly saying he's had problems and he wants to get better, and people pick out things like him saying he wants to make football plays and turn it against him. I believe the quote was "And it does nothing but drive me to prove people wrong that I can do the right things and will do the right things and will make great plays". Isn't that saying he wants to be better off the field and on the field? Isn't that exactly what we want from him as fans? Give the guy another chance. If he continues to do stupid things after he's told us he's learned his lesson, then you can roast him.

• June 29, 2008

  12:41 p.m.

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  BMat writes:

  And it does nothing but drive me to prove people wrong that I can do the right things and will do the right things and will make great plays.
  __________________

  So beating up your girlfriend, driving drunk and lieing about how you cut up your arm create bad press and bad press is what motivates you?

  How about you just stop getting arrested, stop knocking out women and just drink some coffee if you need to get yourself going?

  Ahh screw it - If the Broncos make the Super Bowl you can beat up my wife too if you want! We love immature thugs!

• June 30, 2008

  7:35 a.m.

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  BroncoRick69 writes:

  I heard she likes that kind of action Bmat.

• June 30, 2008

  8:54 a.m.

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  sixshooter writes:

  I wouldn't call Brandon a thug but he does need to grow up and mature. I really hope that these allegations are not true especially after hearing that he is now healthy and recovered fromt the injury that many were saying he would never recover from. I never seen so many fans arguing with what the doctors were saying. I don't like this Watley chick either. It seems to me that she is the thrill seeker and the more aggressive of the two. If Brandon physically abused her then that is very wrong but he can get help just as Rod Smith did when he plead guilty to domestic Violence after being accused of choking and slamming his live in girlfriend's head off the floor. He was court ordered to 36 weeks of domestic violence counseling and 2 years probation and found a way to turn his life around. I still have my doubts about Ms Watley's version of the story though. Talk about too many conflicting stories that don't make sense. I really hope this whole thing goes away and Watley and Marshall go their separate ways and get on with their lives in a positive way.

• June 30, 2008

  12:35 p.m.

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  Bronco6 writes:

  People can change, so lets see what happens...we all done things wrong when we were young..time will tell..

  Go Broncos

• June 30, 2008

  1:30 p.m.

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  denmex writes:

  greate his hand, and arm r good now, now we only have to wait till he gets his brain fix and we can trust him.
  i love his game but he is a time bomb lets hope he can change.

• June 30, 2008

  4:57 p.m.

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  Hollywood writes:

  I thought from what the report said the other day that he has had the police called on him about abuse but he was never arrested, now none of us where there to know what happened so no one can say for sure, but the police are pretty good at arresting someone if they do think there was some kind of abuse, and all of those issues happened before he cut up his arm, so maybe, just maybe this injury is what woke him up and maybe he will have his head on streight now, we wont know till we see how he handles everthing this season and on.

  The only thing he should get in trouble with the league for right now is the DUI he got, and that at most is only a game or 2.