The “rumors” swirling around a Marcus Mariota–Chip Kelly reunion in Philadelphia are beginning to take shape. Sources surrounding the Eagles‘ organization are sensing that a power-play to grab the coveted former Oregon Ducks‘ quarterback is very real and that the Eagles are ”determined to get their man.”
Exploding 5 myths about Marcus Mariota and the Eagles http://t.co/M2wn0nVV48
— Marcus Mariota (@MariotaNews) February 27, 2015
Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com elaborated on what he thinks could be a very entertaining and stressful draft day for Eagles’ fans:
Every day, with little things I hear, evidence continues to build that the Eagles are going to make a strong play for Marcus Mariota. To note, this is something I had previously thought to be unrealistic, so as bits of information have trickled in, they’ve been absorbed on my end with skepticism. But it appears the Eagles are determined to get their guy.
Chip Kelly at #NFLCombine watching NFL Network nitpick 3 of Mariota’s 38 bad reads all season. pic.twitter.com/pDhk0RgyqV
— Aaron J. Fentress (@AaronJFentress) February 21, 2015
While nothing is absolutely certain, the idea of Philly trading up in the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft is being considered by even the most senior NFL analysts in their mock drafts, most notably Pat Kirwan of CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.
Kirwan has the Eagles moving to No. 4 by giving their first-round pick this year and next year along with running back LeSean McCoy to the Oakland Raiders.
King’s scenario is a little different, with Philly moving to No. 5 in a deal with the Washington Redskins:
*Trade: Washington gets Philadelphia’s first- and second-round picks this year, and first- and fourth-round picks in 2016. Washington could be moving from five to 20 in the first round by doing this deal, with GM Scot McCloughan scoring points with his new boss for not giving away the store in a trade, but rather acquiring the store. This has so many poetic points to it. The Eagles gave Donovan McNabb to Washington a few Easters ago; now Washington would be giving a longer-term quarterback, theoretically, to Chip Kelly. The Eagles coach would be reunited with the quarterback he recruited out of a Hawaii high school and helped make a star while both were at Oregon. It just feels right, though Howie Roseman will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into giving up so much draft capital for a player with some question marks.
Both of these scenarios makes sense. For Eagles fans who complain it would cost too much and would mortgage their future: Mariota IS a future and a good franchise quarterback under the right coach has no price tag.
@Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is gunning for Marcus Mariota for the 2015 draft. http://t.co/r72aGSyB9Y
— Breaking Sports (@breakinsports) February 25, 2015
Oregon and Philadelphia fans know that Kelly is a calculated gambler and he gets what he wants most of the time. The situation in Philly is ripe for a juicy move with Kelly as both head coach and director of player personnel.
It still might take some convincing of Philly’s Executive VP of Football Ops Howie Roseman, but as King said, Mariota playing for Kelly “just feels right,” and it’s definitely not impossible.
Top photo by John Giustina
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Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.