EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- At 6:45 a.m. it’s usually pretty quiet at the Quest Diagnostic Training Center. Aside from some coaches and support staff, the New York Giants training complex is generally empty.

Unlike most of the rest of the day, when you never know who will be roaming the hallways -- several months back it was Michael Strahan, and last week, in the leadup to Monday night’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/WatchESPN), it was UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley -- before the sun rises and well before players are mandated to arrive, there is tranquility in the air.

"I have a lot of trust in him," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said of third-year center Weston Richburg (70). "He makes a lot of calls at the line of scrimmage." AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Most mornings around 6:45 a.m. is when the unofficial meetings begin. Quarterback Eli Manning and starting center Weston Richburg are two of the first players in the building, and they meet for breakfast. It could be one-on-one, though sometimes there are stragglers (injured tight end Matt LaCosse attends thanks to early rehab and therapy).

It’s hardly a surprise that Richburg is one of the first in the building, or that he has evolved into one of the league’s better centers. He’s almost always the first Giants player on the field on game days, some three hours before kickoff. It’s in Richburg’s workmanlike, north Texas DNA, and something he picked up after looking at his surroundings not long after being selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.

“It’s just [Eli] does it the right way, so I figure if he’s showing up early like that maybe it’s a good thing to do that, and be here doing your job as much as possible during the day and following that example that he sets,” Richburg said. “He’s a pro in every aspect so it’s easy to follow.”

At times, the conversation over breakfast can be light, with talk ranging from family to news to college football. Intertwined are more than a few jokes, often about someone at the table. It’s a well-hidden Manning specialty, with his covert, dry humor a staple behind closed doors.

But the conversation also hits on football. Richburg and Manning might talk about a defensive front they expect to see that week or a wrinkle they anticipate from the opposing defense. This communication seems mundane, but it’s vital considering the regularity with which the center and quarterback work in tandem, particularly in a Giants offense with so many calls taking place at the line of scrimmage.

Richburg, in just his second full season as the Giants center, has won over the coaching staff and his star quarterback.

“I have a lot of trust in him,” said Manning, 35. “He makes a lot of calls at the line of scrimmage. Early I was listening and double-checking. Now he knows his stuff and trusting he’s going to make the right calls so I can have my focus on other things.”

The quarterback-center conversations aren’t limited to breakfast. They talk and text throughout the week.

Manning has the confidence in his center to come to him throughout the week and discuss pass-protection adjustments. Richburg, 25, relays to his quarterback what he sees on tape and offers ideas and suggestions.

They’re well received.

“Everything we’ve talked about I think we’ve used,” Richburg said. “So it’s nice to have a collective effort to bring something to the table that we discussed and decided if we want to do it.”

Growing into a leader

Richburg’s rookie campaign wasn’t ideal. A center at Colorado State, he was shifted to guard for the 2014 season and got a rude introduction to the NFL.

It wasn’t until J.D. Walton was released ahead of the 2015 season that the Giants opened the door for Richburg to step into the role for which he was drafted. It has been a much more natural fit.

Richburg has been a steady presence in the middle of the Giants' offensive line, playing at a high level and developing into a leader. It hasn’t come without its rocky moments, though. He had an uneven first go-round, and was the first player thrown out of a game earlier this season under the new rule in which two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties constitute an automatic ejection.

It hasn’t affected the opinion of his linemates.

Weston Richburg has emerged as a leader on the Giants' offensive line in front of Eli Manning. Robert Duyos/USA TODAY Sports

“He stepped in and grabbed the bulls by the horns, and from Day 1 [last season] was definitely assertive, with [center] being his position and him raising his game to a whole other level,” right tackle Marshall Newhouse said. “I think he’s arguably one of the best centers in the league.”

Newhouse isn’t alone with that opinion. Two NFL sources said this past offseason they thought Richburg would eventually be a Pro Bowl center, maybe even as early as this season. He was a good player, and still ascending.

Richburg has picked up where he left off in 2015. He has been a mainstay on a Giants offensive line that is built from the inside out. The unit has allowed the fourth-fewest sacks (12), but the Giants are last in the league in rushing output, averaging 68.3 yards per game entering Monday night's game.

The third-year center also has evolved into the line's respected voice.

“I think I’ve been given that role as a center, but I also do like to be vocal and try to create some energy within the group,” Richburg said. “I think I have stepped into that role more and more.”

The responsibilities include tweaking things throughout the week with Manning. They also involve speaking up more in the huddle and during drives, whether it’s to provide encouragement or, if need be, to lay into someone, though that hasn’t happened often.

“He’s done a good job bringing everyone together and keeping that group close,” Manning said.

But perhaps most important, Richburg's role at this point of his progression includes making calls and adjustments prior to the snap. He must recognize the defensive fronts, notice the safeties, locate the middle linebacker and relay any changes made by Manning to his fellow linemen.

It’s during the pre-snap chaos that those early morning breakfasts really pay off.

“He trusts me, I trust him,” Richburg said. “It’s a good relationship.”

The future is bright

Center is one position the Giants shouldn’t have to worry about for quite some time. They have a young center they can build around.

Richburg is signed through the 2017 season, and it seems a no-brainer for the Giants to secure his services for the long term before he hits free agency. He’s dedicated and driven, consistently improving and learning.

“There has been growth, a steady incline,” Newhouse said. “It wasn’t overnight. Talking to him, it took not having the smoothest rookie years to kind of appreciate when he got into the role he felt comfortable in. He’s played really, really well.”

Richburg’s relationship with the quarterback he works so closely with only helps. He’s the latest in a mostly successful string of centers -- Shaun O'Hara, David Baas and now Richburg -- to have that type of bond with Manning.

Only this one is different. Manning admits that Richburg isn’t necessarily a contemporary. Manning is the old guy; Richburg is the young guy. Their working relationship won’t last forever. Richburg is the upper-echelon center who will ultimately outlast his current quarterback.