Resurrection at hand for Broncos' Marshall

[DukeWoody]

Resurrection at hand for Broncos' Marshall
Wide receiver is given green light for team activities

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 06:01 p.m., June 27, 2008
Updated 09:43 p.m., June 27, 2008

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...ncos-marshall/

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."

[Raidersbane]

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.

Now that is gooooood to hear.....:

[DukeWoody]

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."

Knee jerk dramalites be damned!! Marshall will be lucky to play in the 2009 season, rrriiiggghhhtttt!!

Next up is the gold digging extortionist...another FAIL!!!

[Killericon]

[Houshyamama]

[SonOfLe-loLang]

this is the first thing to make me really smile all day Fantastic news

[wolf754life]

great news, lets hope he is truly healthy

[BroncosinDC]

I would quote wolf....but don't feel like taking that flak. But for the record he said something positive about B-Marsh. Of course it is late he could be drunk.

19-0 Baby! Its official now!

[Los Broncos]

Good news.

[montrose]

God I hope this is accurate. Call me a bad person, but I am far more concerned with his injury status than off-the-field stuff. I hope his stupidity doesn't cause a temporary or more importantly, permanent setback to his career. The personal problems could certainly do the damage as well, but I have faith a kid my age can grow up. Brandon's never been reported to be a problem in the locker room, if anything he looks to be a fun guy to have around. Every interview I see with him, he just seems very young and immature - almost to the point where he appears naive, especially about his injury. That actually gives me a bit of hope that he will grow up. I'm not giving up on you Brandon!

[Drek]

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

And this is why it is asinine to sound off about things well before all the facts are in.

Over a dozen people on here were crying about nerve damage and how he's going to be the Claw part II. Turns out the nerves associated with feeling in his palm (where you actually catch ****) were not damaged at all. Kind of explains why the Broncos medical professionals set a three month timetable huh?

[theAPAOps5]

Finally some good news on Marshall. I hope the positives on the field are followed by off the field. He has the right mind set just has to follow through with it.

Glad to hear he is staying in Denver for the month before camp.

[alkemical]

In an effort to improve his image, Brandon Marshall does a public service billboard.

[Atlas]

Hopefully with his woman out of his life he can walk the straight and narrow.

[Punisher]

[BabyTO]

right on!

[ICON]

That's great to hear!

G

[BlaK-Argentina]

Great!!

[Paladin]

Originally Posted by montrose

..... but I have faith a kid my age can grow up.....

Your age? Lets see. Three years ago you were 43. Two years ago you were 36. What is it next?

Your age? I call BS.

[broncofan2438]

Good to hear. I don't think anyone has given up on him. He just needs to stay focused on getting himself prepared for the season.

[lod01]

Haters are awfully quiet today.

Brandon MArshall!!!!

[theAPAOps5]

Originally Posted by lod01

Haters are awfully quiet today.

Brandon MArshall!!!!

Its the weekend in the offseason. Hateraid and Orange glasses will commence in full again on Monday.

[BroncoBuff]

This is good news ... but is anybody else a bit skeptical that everything is so 100% rosy, so very quickly?

I hate to say it, but there might be one shoe left to drop here...

[theAPAOps5]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

This is good news ... but is anybody else a bit skeptical that everything is so 100% rosy, so very quickly?

I hate to say it, but there might be one shoe left to drop here...

No because he isn't 100% but the key point is he has numbness in the top of his hand, not his fingers, or palm. He still has dexterity so I would say he dodged a huge bullet as any more nerve damage could have ended his career.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Not to mention the doctors close to the situation never expressed the concern others had (at least in public). If he's catching everything, im not sure what other shoe can drop