Eli Manning sees a lot of Plaxico Burress in new weapon Marshall

Eli Manning has yet to take his new toy out for a test drive, but he can already envision how it will handle. That's because the New York Giants quarterback believes new receiver Brandon Marshall has distinct similarities to former Giants pass-catcher Plaxico Burress.

"I think Plaxico was kind of the last one similar to that size," Manning said at a New York function Thursday, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

"They can be open when they're not really open. You don't want to get into a habit, it's not a jump ball, but you can throw him open. He's been in lots of offenses and he gets open a lot of different ways, very disciplined in his route-running and understanding concepts."

The Giants stunned the league by adding Marshall, a veteran of 11 seasons, the day before the start of free agency.

The trio of Marshall, Odell Beckham Jr., and Sterling Shepard gives the team one of the more formidable receiving trios in the NFL, and Manning can't wait to see it in action.

"I was excited when we made that acquisition," the quarterback said. "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. He's excited about coming to this offense and staying in New York and having a No. 1 receiver (Beckham) on the opposite of him."