Really big shoe amuses Brandon

Brandon Marshall likes Odell Beckham’s shoe game. Beckham wore cleats Tuesday on the first day of Giants minicamp with the logos of several news outlets with either a red X or “Shhhhhh!!!” painted on some of them — he appeared to be wearing different cleats on Wednesday. The cleats caught the eye of Marshall, a media man himself as part of Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” the last three years.

“I asked him about them because we were stretching,” Marshall said Wednesday. “I looked over, he stretched right next to me and I was like, ‘Hold on, what does that say?’ So that was pretty cool. It was fun. You should have fun with the media in this whole process. Obviously we’re here to win ballgames and you’ve got to stay focused, but I loved it. I’m that type of guy. I thought the shoes were cool.”

Marshall said Beckham just laughed when the veteran asked him about the cleats. “We’re similar guys,” Marshall said of he and Beckham. “We kind of understand that environment. We know exactly what’s going on around us. As long as he just takes that and uses it as fuel to continue to work hard and be the best, we’ll be good.”

It is easy to look at Marshall, 33, and think he will be a mentor to the 24-year-old Beckham, a mercurial figure who has had trouble controlling his emotions at times on the field. But that wasn’t a part of Marshall’s discussions with the Giants.

The two will undoubtedly bond but

Marshall reiterated it will happen organically. Marshall’s job first and foremost is to help the offense and be a reason the Giants succeed, and he’s not worried about what’s happened with Beckham in the past.

“I’m kind of out of the Odell business. Odell’s fine,” Marshall said. “He’s here. We’re fine. That was last year. This is a new team, a new year and I think everybody’s excited. That’s the last thing I want to do is continue to talk about last year.”

Beckham has made a positive impression on Marshall during minicamp. “He brings an energy, man,” Marshall said. “It’s special having him in the room. I’m glad that he’s back. it’s good for everybody. It’s just fun seeing him out there. I can’t really describe it, but the energy in the classroom is on another level, and the energy on the field is on another level. His spirit is contagious.”

Beckham and Marshall each made impressive touchdown catches near the goal line on Wednesday from Eli Manning. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie said having a bigger receiver at 6-4 like Marshall in the fold “changes the whole mindset.” Giants defenders want to get up in his face and press but are realizing it’s not the smartest move. “He likes that,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “He wants you to do that so you can throw him by.”

PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Offensive lineman Justin Pugh was present but did not practice again Wednesday with what he described as a tweaked back. It’s a precautionary measure, he said. … Ereck Flowers and D.J. Fluker both left practice Wednesday. Offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan said Flowers was “sore” and didn’t have an update on Fluker. … Tight ends Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison were dressed but didn’t partake in drills.