Kadarius Toney, Terrace Marshall Meet With Eagles

With Kype Pitts and Ja'Marr Chase out of the running to join Philly, attention could shift to their pass-catching teammates at Florida and LSU

Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase are out of reach for the Eagles, and they very well could have been even had general manager Howie Roseman stayed put with the sixth overall pick, but two of their teammates aren’t.

Both LSU’s Terrace Marshall and Florida’s Kadarius Toney told SI.com Eagle Maven after their pro days on Wednesday that they have talked to the Eagles, who sent quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson to Florida.

Certainly, the 12th overall pick is too high - one would think - to take Marshall or Toney, but both could be sitting there in the second round, when the Eagles make another selection just five picks into that round, at No. 37 overall.

Or maybe Roseman tries to trade into the bottom of the first round to secure one of them.

The Bills could be a candidate at No. 30 and the Eagles could offer a sweetener of, say, tight end Zach Ertz in addition to giving up the second-round selection and maybe Buffalo gives back a later-round draft pick, too.

READ MY EAGLES MOCK DRAFT 2.0: Kracz Mock Draft 2.0: Defense in First, Offensive Firepower ...

Johnson was the Gators’ offensive coordinator last year.

“He was out here,” said Toney. “It was good to chop it up with him. I had a meeting with them probably a week ago. I was able to talk through different stuff with them and show them the kind of player I am and kind of person I am.”

Asked about Johnson’s impact on his career, Toney said: “I feel like he played an amazing part in putting me in a position to be successful. He made sure every time that there was a play to be made I was probably on the receiving end of it, or Kyle Pitts, someone who’s going to make sure it’s done.”

Marshall’s answer to the question if he has met with Philadelphia: “I have been talking to the Eagles.”

The answer would seem to indicate he has had more than one meeting.

Meanwhile, the Eagles may have been right all along about trading down knowing that Chase and Pitts wouldn’t be available to them with the sixth overall pick.

Both players talked after their pro days on Wednesday and confirmed that there is a very real chance they would have been gone by the time the Eagles arrived on the clock holding the sixth pick.

Shortly after clocking a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, a time faster than a slew of stuff NFL receivers ran during their lead-up to draft day, Chase said he has spoken many times to the Cincinnati Bengals, who own the fifth pick and signed offensive tackle Riley Reiff in free agency, perhaps taking them out of the market for Oregon OT Penei Sewell.

“I have talked to the Bengals, I don’t know how many times,” said Chase. “Me and Joe (Burrow), I wouldn’t mind going back with Joe. If we go back together, we’ll get back our chemistry and have some more fun.”

Burrow was Cincy’s first overall pick in last year’s draft, a year after Burrow won the Heisman and a national title with Chase on the receiving end of Burrow’s throws in that 2019 season.

Marshall played in the shadow of Chase and, last year, Justin Jefferson. He measured in at 6-2, 206 on Wednesday and ran a 4.4 in the 40 with a 39-inch vertical and 10-5 broad jump.

After playing seven games this season, Marshall opted out. He averaged over 100 yards receiving in each of those games, finishing with 731 yards on 48 catches and 10 touchdowns. In 2019, he had 13 TDs with 46 catches for 671 yards.

“I feel like I had more to prove,” said Marshall when asked why he didn’t opt-out for the entire season. “I feel like I haven’t done everything I needed to do to prove myself. I wanted to go out there and play and compete. I went out and competed and felt I needed to prove myself more.”

Asked what separates him from the rest of this draft class’s WR group, and what NFL teams – maybe the Eagles – would be getting, Marshall said:

“The versatility to play inside and out and be able to produce the same amount of numbers…you’re just going to be getting a great teammate overall and a hard worker, if not the hardest in the room, but one of the hardest in the receiving room and you’re going to get that dog, someone who will take advantage of the opportunities he’s given.”

Pitts, meanwhile, talked after having his wingspan measured during his pro day at 83-3/8 inches, which is the largest wingspan for a tight end in at least the last 20 years. He said that he has talked several times to the Atlanta Falcons, who own the fourth overall pick, including at Wednesday’s pro day.

“They have interest in me and (they said) after today we’ll get back on another zoom to try to learn more about myself, so I feel they’re pretty interested in me,” said Pitts. “It would be a dream come true to be top five or the first non-quarterback to come off the board, so that’s something I look forward to in the draft.”

Toney was not in Pitts’ shadow. 

He was stride for stride with him in playmaking ability, albeit in a smaller package, checking in at 5-11, 194 on Wednesday with a 4.39 time in the 40.

“What really sets me apart is the way I’m able to move my body, create plays when there’s probably no play to be made,” said Toney, who had a breakout year this season with 70 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Asked if he knows Eagles QB Jalen Hurts or would like to play with him, Toney said: “My uncle knows him. They were in the same frat or something, but I never talked to him. I’m willing to play with anybody, anybody who’s handling their business like they’re supposed to.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze

READ MORE: Greg Rousseau's Ceiling Could Fit a 'Transitioning' Team ...