Eagles' Olamide Zaccheaus Signing: Ex Falcons WR's Scouting Report

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith raved about receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who recently signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.

In recent days, the Philadelphia Eagles have made a plethora of moves, including giving quarterback Jalen Hurts a hefty contract extension and hiring former Detroit Lions coach and New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

But not to be lost in the shuffle is Philadelphia signing former Atlanta Falcons receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, as the sides agreed to a one-year deal Wednesday.

The Eagles already boast one of the NFL's best one-two duos at receiver in the form of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but adding Zaccheaus to pair with Quez Watkins only strengthens the depth of the group.

So, who is Zaccheaus?

Undrafted out of Virginia in 2019, Zaccheaus fought his way onto the Falcons roster as a rookie and improved year-over-year, consistently besting his previous career highs in each major receiving category.

This past season, the 25-year-old Zaccheaus, with help from new Eagles backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, finished as Atlanta's second-leading receiver in several categories, including targets (61), catches (40), yards (533), first downs (25) and yards after catch (189) and finishing third in receiving touchdowns with three.

Perhaps most importantly, for as productive as Zaccheaus was on the field, his traits away from the gridiron were equally as impressive in the eyes of Falcons coach Arthur Smith.

“I have a great appreciation (for) guys like OZ," Smith said last offseason. "He was an eighth-round (undrafted) guy, came up the hard way in the NFL. He’s dependable, smart, can play multiple spots - that’s a very underrated position when you get to gameday."

Zaccheaus, who stands 5-8, 193 pounds, has experience returning both punts and kicks and was oft praised by Smith for his ability as a blocker on the perimeter, all the while aligning at a number of different receiver spots.

While not flashy, that "very underrated" role is held in high regard around the league, and it's something Zaccheaus thrives in.

"It takes one play, and a guy can go out, and if that’s 50-percent of your game plan, you’re in a bad spot," Smith said. "Unless you’ve got guys that can know they may play the Z, can go in there at F, can go in there at X. He’s even got the capability to play emergency quarterback."

Lauded for his ability to find soft spots in coverages and do the little things, Zaccheaus is a consummate professional who made his mark on Smith far beyond football.

"In any industry, if you were going to look for somebody to hire for a job, he would be a guy I would highly recommend," Smith said.

And in this instance, the Eagles are the beneficiaries - adding the "dependable, smart" Zaccheaus to an already talented offense that has its sights set on making another run at the Super Bowl.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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