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NFL Draft Rumors: Marcus Mariota’s dad wants the eagles to take him

By Nathaniel Reeves

Feb 19, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota speaks to the media during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota speaks to the media during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toa Mariota would like to see his son reunited with Chip Kelly as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Speculation has swirled during the months leading up to the 2015 NFL draft that the wheeling-and-dealing Chip Kelly would find a way to bring former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota to the Philadelphia Eagles. Count Mariota’s father as a supporter of that idea.

Toa Mariota would like to see his son reunited with Kelly, according to a report from Sal Paolantonio of ESPN via Bleeding Green Nation.

It’s not hard to see why Toa would like Marcus to be under Kelly’s guidance again. Kelly was one of the few to originally see anything in Mariota, as he was only offered by Oregon and Memphis.

Mariota went on to have one of the most prolific careers for a college quarterback ever. Last season, Mariota won the Heisman Trophy with 4,454 passing yards, 770 yards on the ground, 57 total touchdowns and four interceptions, numbers typically reserved for video games.

Kelly could be the best thing for the Mariota, as he could again lead Marcus back to that level. While most rumors ahead of the draft don’t end up happening, Mariota to the Eagles might just carry some weight.

Philadelphia certainly has the trade chips to get some sort of deal done. In addition to picks, the Eagles could be willing to jettison quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Matt Barkley (or Mark Sanchez if someone wants him) if the return is a pick to get Mariota.

Kelly may not be all that interested in having the often-injured Bradford as his starting quarterback heading into the season and seems to love stacking his roster with former Ducks. The competition will be stiff however, as the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and others may be interested in Mariota.

Trading a massive haul for Mariota would also leave the Eagles in a tough situation. Mariota obviously has more upside than any of their current quarterbacks, but a team with playoff aspirations may not want to rely on an unproven rookie. Kelly has been anything but predictable or conventional this offseason, so nothing would come as a surprise.

After months of rumors and speculation, at least the Mariotas will have the relief of finally knowing their destination come Thursday night.

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