Why Marcus Mariota Should Be Philadelphia Eagles' Ultimate NFL Draft Target

If the recent transactions by Chip Kelly have shown anything, it’s that his tenure as Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach won’t be boring.

Kelly beat Howie Roseman in a power struggle then pulled off a slew of transactions, releasing longtime Eagles Todd Herremans and, per the team's official website, Trent Cole as well as cornerback Cary Williams. But it was the nearly unheard of player-for-player trade involving LeSean McCoy that dropped jaws.

Kelly sent the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher to the Buffalo Bills for inside linebacker Kiko Alonso, a 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up who played under Kelly in Oregon.

"

Filed to ESPN: Bills have notified LB Kiko Alonso he is going to be traded to Philadelphia for RB LeSean McCoy. Trade official next week.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2015"

That puts Philadelphia with loads of available cap space, giving Kelly the ability to sign a handful of big-name free agents should he feel the need.

"

Eagles got rid of 3 of their top 4 salary cap hits for 2015 yesterday. Cleared $20M+ in cap space.

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) March 4, 2015"

The Oregon Ducks jokes are ringing loud, as you would expect with a slew of Kelly’s former college players on his roster.

"

Kiko Alonso will be 9th player from Oregon on Eagles' roster, and all 9 played under Chip Kelly at some point during their college careers.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2015"

And expect Kelly to add even one more to that mix.

It’s no secret to anyone that Kelly is enamored with his former college quarterback, Marcus Mariota, a 2014 Heisman Trophy winner who accounted for nearly four touchdowns per game this past season. Mariota is said to have exceptional football IQ, he’s a tremendous athlete and the possibilities are endless with what he could do in Kelly’s offense.

So how can the Eagles acquire Mariota? Given that Philadelphia doesn’t pick until the 20th slot, it will take a blockbuster trade, one similar to what the Washington Redskins pulled off in 2012 for Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

Because of the way that has backfired as of late for the Redskins, it’s easy to say the Eagles shouldn’t do it. But guess what?

Mariota isn’t RGIII. Kelly isn’t Mike Shanahan. And Philadelphia has a slew of talented playmakers plus a head coach who has set franchise records for points scored in each of his two seasons at the helm.

It’s likely that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (picking first) take Jameis Winston. The Jacksonville Jaguars at three and Oakland Raiders at four have their hopeful franchise quarterback, which means they’ll be more than willing to trade down with Kelly.

The Redskins pick fifth. They may pick Mariota, but they may give RGIII one more year. Considering what the franchise sacrificed to acquire him, it has to give Griffin more time to develop.

The New York Jets have the sixth selection, and despite having 2013 second-round quarterback Geno Smith on their roster, they’ll likely go with Mariota if he’s there. Then again, reports have already surfaced that the Jets would trade down with the Eagles in this scenario.

"

Report: Jets to trade with Eagles if Marcus Mariota falls to No. 6 http://t.co/bRDXp47UmF pic.twitter.com/U4Z8mrPRX5

— BleedingGreenNation (@BleedingGreen) March 5, 2015"

That’s a plausible scenario for Kelly, but he’s still taking a chance that Mariota won’t be there. It all comes down to the Tennessee Titans at No. 2. Are they satisfied with the progress thus far of last year’s rookie quarterback, Zach Mettenberger, or do they want to go with Mariota?

That’s the logical trade partner for Kelly, who will undoubtedly be doing whatever he can to find the highest possible trade partner.

Kelly may have to trade his entire 2015 draft class for Mariota, but that’s probably why he’s clearing out so much cap space. He’ll fill the Eagles’ positional needs via free agency and use the draft picks for Mariota.

"

For those unconvinced Eagles are going hard after Mariota... Think they're making all these huge moves and then building around Nick Foles?

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) March 4, 2015"

What Kelly has done so far with mediocre talents in Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez has been nothing short of amazing. He coaxed an unprecedented 27-touchdown, two-interception season out of Foles in 2013 then nearly made the playoffs in ’14 despite numerous offensive line injuries and two quarterbacks who combined for a league-worst 21 interceptions.

Foles’ skill set limits what Kelly can do with his offense. Sanchez just doesn’t have the fine decision-making necessary to excel in the NFL.

Enter Mariota, though, a polished college quarterback who would see very little learning curve in the type of offense Kelly runs. The current Oregon offense is extremely similar to what the Eagles do now, and that’s because it’s all from Kelly. It’s screen passes, zone reads and high-percentage plays designed to maximize Mariota’s success as a passer.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

It’s undoubtedly risky to trade up for Mariota. What if it doesn’t work?

But sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to win something.

It’s unfortunate it would mean the end of the Foles era in Philly, but it’s doubtful the Eagles can seriously contend for a Super Bowl with Foles. His physical limitations suggest the Eagles may turn into the NFC’s Cincinnati Bengals if they stuck with him—a team that qualifies for the playoffs every year but never wins anything.

And Kelly isn’t afraid to make bold moves.

You think he cares how people felt when he released DeSean Jackson or now that he’s traded McCoy? He’s a mad scientist in lab, and we’ll all soon find out whether he’s a genius or too arrogant for his own good in thinking that his system trumps all.

If Kelly gets Mariota, there’s no telling what the Eagles offense will be able to do. Kelly is slowly ridding the Eagles of players who don’t fit his system and turning the entire 53-man roster into one that buys completely into his philosophy.

Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski gives a humorous but pretty accurate look at what Kelly’s offseason plan has been.

"

Eagles offseason plan, in stick figure form, updated yet again: pic.twitter.com/xdwFMaNjx9

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) March 4, 2015"

So how will this trade for Mariota go down? Will it be on draft day? Will it be weeks before? No one knows, and it will be fascinating to see how Kelly goes about doing it.

Know one thing for sure though: Kelly is doing everything he can possibly do to get Mariota. And so far, Kelly has proved he gets what he wants.