EAST RUTHERFORD -- While one of the Giants' top wide receivers skipped Thursday's Organized Team Activity (OTA), another one was impossible to miss.

Offseason acquisition Brandon Marshall donned red spandex -- with nothing over them -- during Thursday's voluntary practice. The 12-year veteran has made a strong first impression on his new team.

"Brandon has been a breath of fresh air for us," coach Ben McAdoo said. "He comes out and he works hard at football. You can see he loves football. It's refreshing to have a guy who's been as productive as he has over his career and he's played as long as he's played and he's out here working the way that he works. You can really see that he loves the game."

McAdoo seems much happier with Marshall than Odell Beckham Jr. at the moment. Beckham has skipped the Giants' first three OTAs and McAdoo said, "You want all your players here, especially great players."

Meanwhile, Marshall has embraced the opportunity to get up to speed with his fifth team.

"He loves football and you can see it in the way he practices, the way he prepares, and he always has a smile on his face. He's looking to learn," McAdoo said. "He's building chemistry with (quarterback) Eli (Manning) each and every day. So it's encouraging."

Marshall, who signed a two-year, $11 million contract in March, is just as excited about joining the Giants after failing to reach the playoffs in his first 11 seasons.

"I'm extremely excited about being in this organization," Marshall said. "A rich history and probably a top three organization in the National Football League and maybe one of the best organizations in all of sports. You hear about it and it's a known thing across the league, but when you are in here, you can feel it."

When speaking about his own journey, which included significant drama early in his career, Marshall spoke with a perspective that the Giants can only hope Beckham absorbs this year.

"I'm not a perfect guy, but I worked extremely hard to get into the position that I am in today," Marshall said. "The first couple years of my career were rough and a lot of it I did myself, hurt myself. Since that point, once I figured things out, I have worked extremely hard to be a better person and extremely hard to be a better teammate, a better father, a better husband, and I'm proud of where I'm at today. I wake up every single day trying to make a positive impact in any room that I step into and you guys are around me every single day, so you know the type of person that I am and that is not going to change here."

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.