Philadelphia Eagles: Hollywood Brown is the deep threat Philly needs

As the Oklahoma Sooners prepare to face off against Alabama, Philadelphia Eagles fans should have their eyes fixed on receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown.

In case you haven’t heard, the Philadelphia Eagles could soon be in the market for a new wide receiver to take their offense to the next level.

With three of the team’s five Week 17 receivers, Mike Wallace, Golden Tate, and Nelson Agholor either set to become a free agent or entering the final year of their contracts in a post-Quincy Enunwa four-year, $36 million contract world (more on that here), the Birds should seriously turn their eyes to the college ranks to find the next great Eagles wide receiver.

Fortunately, there is a wide receiver who checks all of the team’s potential boxes, and he just so happens to be playing in the college football playoffs this very weekend.

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That player is Oklahoma‘s Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown.

A four-star Juco recruit from Hollywood, Florida, Brown committed to play for Bob Stoops‘ Sooners squad back in 2016 but never played a snap under his tutelage, as OU’s coach of 18 years was replaced by Lincoln Riley just in time for his sophomore season.

This move was a revelation for Brown’s game.

Over his two seasons at OU, Brown has established himself as one of the best receivers in the nation, passing the century mark in both of his seasons in Norman for 2,413 career receiving yards. The proud owner of an 18.3 yards per catch average to go with 17 receiving touchdowns, Brown’s big-play ability helped to deliver vault the Sooners’ offense into legendary status, averaging 324 yards a game through the air alone.

Brown is fast, agile, and elusive, but he’s far from a one trick pony.

Unlike many other college burners who run go-routes, and that’s pretty much it, Brown has a pretty solid route tree, especially for a 21-year-old.

Furthermore, Brown has also made a name for himself in the passing game when he doesn’t have the ball in his hand. Maybe it’s because of his lack of a scholarship coming out of high school, but Brown seems to relish every opportunity to mix things up as a run blocker in Riley’s offense, picking up his man down the field with the enthusiasm of a player six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier.

If you watch film of Kyler Murray, or by extension Baker Mayfield‘s explosive plays as a runner, you’ll often see number 5 down the field, boxing out cornerbacks like an NFL tight end.

I mean, could you even imagine DeSean Jackson blocking downfield for LeSean McCoy back in the day? D Jax wouldn’t even run crossing route at the end of his Eagles tenure, let alone get involved in the running game. But that’s Brown’s game; Jackson’s speed with Riley Cooper‘s blocking, basically a 5-foot-10 amalgamation of everything Chip Kelly wanted in a wideout.

And baring a surprise OU win over Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, the Orange Bowl will in all likelihood be Brown’s final game in crimson and cream.

After spending a year playing at the College of the Canyons in 2016, with a chance to play in the NFL nothing more than a pipe dream, Brown now has a very real chance to be selected within the first 50 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, and would be crazy to pass that opportunity up, especially with Murry also exiting the team for his own professional career, be that in football or baseball.

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Who knows, if Brown can show off his blazing speed at the combine and run in the 4.3s, he may not even be on the board when the Eagles take the podium at pick 32 (one can dream, right?). But if he is, Howie Roseman should personally run the card to the commissioner himself, as Brown would look perfect in a midnight green uniform across from Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor. Who knows, maybe he could even wear number 10 in honor of the team’s last great deep threat?

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