Can Byron Marshall be the Eagles offensive weapon in 2016?

On Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles began training camp for quarterbacks, rookies and select veterans. One rookie has been turning heads in the first few days of camp.

Byron Marshall was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon. Having missed OTA’s and mini-camps due to Oregon’s quarters schedule, Marshall made the most of his first action on an NFL field.

Marshall played the “offensive weapon” position of both running back and wide receiver during his four years as a Duck. The offensive weapon, as made famous by former New England Patriot and current San Diego Charger Danny Woodhead, has become popular across the NFL.

Current Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was spoiled in his first year as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City to have one of the more dangerous offensive weapons in Dexter McCluster. Pederson, thought of as an Andy Reid-lite, may be looking for his McCluster-lite in the rookie, Marshall.

McCluster had his best year as a pass-catcher in his only season with the Reid-Pederson regime. The Mississippi grad had career highs in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in 2013. During that season, McCluster also had career lows in all major rushing categories as the run game was dominated by All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles.

The Eagles, two seasons removed from LeSean McCoy and one season removed from DeMarco Murray, do not have a lead back currently residing in their backfield. Marshall, if he can prove to be the dynamic threat he as in college, could make a serious push to make the roster and possibly see some playing time come regular season.

Marshall had back-to-back seasons at Oregon with over 1100 yards from scrimmage. In his sophomore season, 1000 of those yards came on the ground, at a clip of 6.2 yards per carry. In his junior season, 1000 of those yards came as a result of 74 receptions. Despite dropping a few passes in the early goings of training camp, reports say that he has also been making some flashy plays.

One factor that may push him from “on the bubble” to making the roster could be his ability to block. According to Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com, Marshall stuffed linebacker Travis Long at the point of attack on the first day of practice. Long, who has since been released by the Eagles, outweighed Marshall by roughly 50 pounds.

Another potential box for Marshall to check off is his ability to make an impact on special teams. Despite having limited prior experience and only four games of action in 2015, Marshall was second in the Pac-12 with 27.5 yards per kick return (on 14 returns). Don’t be surprised to see Marshall as one of the many players back to return kicks in the preseason.

The high school track and field star has the benefit not only of excelling as a runner and a pass catcher, but being in an offense that thrives off of that versatility in their running backs and having positions for the taking at both receiver and running back.

The Eagles may already have plans for the rookie to stick with the team after giving him a three-year contract, rather than the more common one-year deal. According to reports, Marshall received about a dozen offers to sign with teams as an undrafted free agent. However, Marshall saw the Eagles as the best opportunity for him to make an NFL roster. According to the rookie the Eagles asked him to play both running back and slot receiver during his time with the team. Marshall’s familiarity with this, due to his position in college, intrigued him. It appears that Marshall and the Eagles were a perfect fit for one another.

Marshall has an uphill battle ahead of him but Eagles fans always find an underdog to root for when final cut days roll around. Marshall may be a good one to bet on.

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