Could Eagles' next deep threat be Marquise Brown?

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INDIANAPOLIS — Explosive receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is here at the 2019 combine. He just wishes he could compete. 

He really wanted to run the 40. 

“I was gonna aim for the record, for sure,” Brown said.  

Unfortunately for Brown, the only eye-popping numbers he put up were at his official weigh-in. He measured in at 5-10, 166 pounds. To put that into perspective, the last player to weigh in under 170 pounds at the combine was Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, who was actually one pound heavier (167) in 2017. 

But Brown, who is recovering from a lisfranc surgery on his foot in January, said he isn’t worried about his weight. 

And for a speed guy, maybe it isn’t the biggest of deals. After all, the player Brown has been compared to most frequently, DeSean Jackson, was just 169 pounds at the 2008 combine. 

Brown seems to have a special appreciation for smaller-in-stature receivers like Jackson and Brandin Cooks, not to mention his cousin Antonio Brown. He grew up watching the Eagles when Michael Vick was connecting to DeSean. “They’re undersized guys and they’re out there making impacts,” Brown said. 

And it just so happens the Eagles could certainly use a deep threat for next season. It would make plenty of sense if he’s on the Eagles’ radar. 

It’s not very hard to see why Brown is so commonly compared to Jackson. In his two years at Oklahoma after transferring from a JUCO school, Brown put up impressive numbers: 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns, while averaging 18.3 yards per catch. Over the last two years, his yards-per-catch average was second in Division 1 for players with at least 100 catches. 

After moving on from Torrey Smith after the 2017 season and with Mike Wallace set to become a free agent, the Eagles could certainly use an infusion of speed in their offense. Nelson Agholor has given them speed, but it’s primarily been out of the slot position. Because of his size, some folks might want to put Brown in the slot too, but he’s confident he can play inside and outside. 

There was talk that Brown could possibly be selected in the first round and maybe in the range of the Eagles’ pick at 25, but maybe there’s a chance teams are scared off by the combination of his recovery and slight build enough to let him fall even further. 

Brown said he hopes to be back running by April or May, but he won’t be fully cleared to return until training camp. After talking to some other receivers who have come back from the same injury, he’s confident he’ll make a full recovery. 

A team that takes a chance on him could reap the benefits.

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