Eagles WR Olamide Zaccheaus: Marcus Mariota a 'Big Blessing' as Ex Falcons Reunite
The Philadelphia Eagles have created quite the pipeline from the University of Georgia in terms of acquiring talent - but this offseason, the Eagles plucked some talent from Georgia's professional team, as well.
Shortly after the start of free agency, Philadelphia signed former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota - and just over a month later, did the same with receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, who caught passes from Mariota in Atlanta.
During Mariota's 13 starts, Zaccheaus recorded 32 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns; he ultimately finished as the Falcons' second-leading receiver in each category, logging 40 catches for 533 yards and three scores.
Now, even with an offseason of uncertainty, the duo is back - albeit under different circumstances. Mariota's slated to be the backup to recently extended signal caller Jalen Hurts, but the chemistry between he and Zaccheaus promises to prove true over the offseason, with the latter believing it'll help ease the transition to a new team.
"Me and Marcus have put in a lot of time together this past year in OTAs, in the offseason, training camp, during the year," Zaccheaus told reporters Wednesday. "So just that line of communication, even with Jalen and Marcus, it just makes that communication a lot easier."
Mariota and Zaccheaus entered the league on different schedules, the former as the No. 2 overall pick in 2015 while the latter went undrafted four years later.
But Mariota, after being benched and spending two years as a backup, fought his way back into a starting role - and found comfort with the scrappy, reliable Zaccheaus.
Naturally, Zaccheaus already has a good feel for how Mariota operates, but the same can't be said for his bond with Hurts. However, he feels that knowing the manner in which one quarterback goes about their business will only further advance his understanding of the offense and connection with the other.
"Just hearing what their perspective is, how they want certain routes to run and stuff like that," Zaccheaus said. "So having Marcus here is a big blessing in order to just make that connection a lot easier."
While there were certainly several factors in Zaccheaus' decision to sign with the Eagles, it's possible that Mariota's presence had a helping hand - and if nothing else, will have a similar impact as the pair seeks to learn Philadelphia's offense this offseason.
And for that, in Zaccheaus' eyes, having Mariota along for the ride is a "big blessing."
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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