CHARLOTTE — Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady was excited for Terrace Marshall Jr. because he knows him.
But Brady's also a little selfish, because he knows what Marshall can do.
Brady was in a celebratory mood Friday night when the Panthers used their second-round pick (59th overall) on the LSU wide receiver.
"He's a good fit," Brady said with a grin, after a quick phone call with his newest weapon. "All I can say is, we have a great vision for him as a Carolina Panther. The skillset he has is going to be a great asset to our offense. . . .
"The more weapons you have is always better. It's our job to find out what he does well, and put him in positions to have success. Excited to get back to work with him, and see him earn it all over again."
The familiarity aside, Brady was mostly excited about the tools Marshall brings to the job.
"Not too many people are 6-2, 200-plus and run a 4.3, and are able to make plays on the ball like Terrace does," Brady said, still grinning. "When the ball's in the air, Terrace always finds a way to come down with it, and I think he showcased that every time he was on the football field. Not a lot of games but a lot of production.
"There's not a player that works harder and is more dedicated to his craft than Terrace."
Marshall caught 46 passes for 671 yards (14.6 per catch) and 13 touchdowns in 2019, when Brady was calling plays for the national champions. Those would be impressive numbers anyway, but considering he was playing alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, Marshall found a way to stand out.
It'll be similarly challenging here with DJ Moore and Robby Anderson and Christian McCaffrey, but Marshall said he looks forward to another chance to work with a coach he knows, and to prove himself again.
"I just see me going out there eating," Marshall said. "Going out and eating no matter who's beside me playing. I'm just looking forward to working hard and doing what I do."
Asked how he finds that niche, Marshall said: "Just by keep grinding. At the end of the day, the cream will always rise to the top. I'm going to do what I do, and God will take care of the rest."
Marshall struggled through some injuries last year, and opted out of the end of the season — after catching 48 passes for 731 yards (15.2 per) with 10 touchdowns in seven games. Despite that, and being surrounded by future NFL stars, Brady said he admired Marshall's focus.
"I think it speaks volumes to the type of kid and person he is," Brady said. "He never sat there questioning things or complaining. He just went to work and knew his time was going to come, and was going to play his game. When his opportunities came to be the guy, he made the most of it.
"He's an extremely faith-based man. He never gets too high or too low, understands what's ruin control with him. The more you're around him, the more you love his demeanor and everything about him."
