Is Oregon Ducks QB Marcus Mariota trying to reach out to his former head coach Chip Kelly to draft him for the Philadelphia Eagles?
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“Obviously my relationship with Coach Kelly (who recruited him when he was the Ducks’ coach) – it’d be a lot of fun to be a part of that offense and be a part of that team,” Mariota said in an interview with the Oregon Ducks’ website.
“Whatever team wants me, I’d love to play for them… For me, any team that wants me to be part of their club, I’m all for it. Whatever happens, happens, and I’m looking forward to the process.”
Mariota and Kelly spent two years at Oregon together, winning the Rose Bowl in 2011 and the Fiesta Bowl in 2012 before Kelly left for the NFL to become head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner led the Oregon Ducks to the first ever College Football Championship Game, losing 42-20 to the Ohio State Buckeyes and finishing the season with the No. 2 overall ranking. He declared for the NFL draft two days later and is projected to be a top five pick.
But the Philadelphia Eagles pick No. 20 overall, and to land a QB as highly touted as Mariota with several NFL teams that have a need at the position drafting higher than them – Tampa Bay, Tennessee, New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, Buffalo and Houston just to name a few – the Eagles would likely have to move heaven and earth to move up the 15 or more spots in the draft to guarantee getting Mariota.
Kelly’s offense has found success with an average or even below-average QB since joining the Eagles in 2013. While Kelly’s high-octane pace has done wonders for the stats of QBs like Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez, it has not translated into the kind of dominating performances that made Kelly’s Oregon teams a powerhouse for four years.
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