Eli Manning downplays age factor as Giants open camp

“Eli has to take care of himself and get himself ready to play mentally and physically,” Reese said Thursday. “When guys get up in age, you have to take care of them. There are a few guys on the squad that coach McAdoo and our staff, we’ve talked about, ‘OK, let’s make sure these guys get to the game, get to the season.’ You’ve got to protect them in some ways.”

Manning downplayed the so-called pitch count. He said he has been on one since Ben McAdoo took over as offensive coordinator in 2014 and then became the head coach last season.

It’s not so much a pitch count. Manning throws more on some days and less on others. On the days he throws less, he works more with the starters.

Manning is excited about the changes the team has made in the offseason. Former Jets wideout Brandon Marshall was signed as a free agent and New York drafted quick tight end Evan Engram in the first round.

The additions should make it tougher for opponents to double playmaking receiver Odell Beckham Jr., while creating mismatches for Manning to exploit if he gets the time to throw.

“I’m excited about the year, just knowing the guys and the character that we have on this team,” Manning said. “Guys have worked hard in the spring; we got better and added some elements, and so I’m excited about raising our level of play and being explosive on offense and scoring points and having a strong defense. So, the possibilities are there. We just got to get to work and we got to make it happen.”