The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to add Marquise “Hollywood” Brown this offseason in preparation for losing former All-Pro A.J. Brown.
While the Eagles have yet to trade away A.J., that remains the expectation. Yet, Brown’s role appears to be less well-defined then when he arrived in Philadelphia during March.
It could start to become more defined, though, during the team’s offseason workouts. That’s what could make OTAs so important for the new Eagles wideout.
On Sunday, Fansided’s Inside the Iggles’ Anthony Miller included Brown on a list of four Eagles players who could turn the offseason workouts “into a personal launchpad.”
“With A.J. Brown pretty much out the door, Hollywood Brown was brought in to give the Eagles some much-needed speed,” wrote Miller. “Since Hollywood was signed, though, Philly also added Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Elijah Moore, adding more pressure on Brown to perform well and might end up being a backup.
“If Brown can show the Eagles he still has it at OTAs, it might give him a better chance to start from Day 1.”
Brown will begin competing with those three other receivers at Eagles offseason workouts on Tuesday. Philadelphia’s first round of OTAs will be May 26-27 and May 29.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown Could Face Make-or-Break OTAs?
Offseason workouts are important. But typically, pundits and fans should take the performances from them with a grain of salt.
They take place in May and June. There’s a long way to go until the start of the regular season.
However, that’s not the approach Miller took with his opinion on Brown’s potential role in Philadelphia. Miller sees Brown needing to be impressive pretty much from the jump because of the competition the Eagles have added to their receiver room since March.
In addition to Brown, Philadelphia signed Elijah Moore in NFL free agency. The team also traded for Dontayvion Wicks in April and then moved up the board to select Makai Lemon in the 2026 NFL Draft.
More than likely, Brown will be Philadelphia’s new WR2 when/if the Eagles trade A.J. Brown in June. But that’s far less of a guarantee now than it was roughly two months ago.
Brown registered a 1,000-yard season with 91 catches while playing for the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. At that time, he was a rising star who was a former first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
But the Ravens dealt Brown to the Arizona Cardinals the following offseason. Since then, the receiver has posted good but not great numbers. Brown also spent most of the 2024 season on injured reserve.
Last season, Brown posted 49 receptions, 587 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 16 games for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eagles WR Depth Entering Offseason Workouts
General manager Howie Roseman did a lot to ensure the Eagles wouldn’t have a bare cupboard at receiver if the team traded A.J. Brown this offseason.
As previously mentioned, adding Hollywood Brown was just part of the equation. In Moore, Wicks and Lemon, even without A.J., the Eagles have three of four options for WR2.
Lemon is the fourth option, but the rookie is likely set to contribute immediately as the team’s starting slot wideout.
If Hollywood wants to ensure he remains the front line receiver option behind DeVonta Smith, he will have to show up at offseason workouts.
After this week, the Eagles will also have offseason workouts from June 1-4. The team’s minicamp is scheduled for June 9-10.
Additionally, the Eagles have receivers Johnny Wilson, Quez Watkins, Danny Gray, Britain Covey, and Darius Cooper on their offseason roster.
‘Hollywood’ Brown Predicted to Face Early Crucial Stretch in Eagles Tenure