marshall.jpg

On Friday the Eagles will begin their rookie minicamp, a chance for their incoming rookies to get a taste of the NFL lifestyle.

As they have been since the moment the team traded up for the No. 2 pick, all eyes will be on quarterback Carson Wentz, the player coming to Philadelphia with the pressure of turning around the franchise.

Another player all eyes should be on, however, is Byron Marshall.

Marshall, who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent, is a 5-foot-9, 201 pound running back from Oregon, who comes to the Eagles as perhaps already the most versatile skill player on the roster.

During his four years at Oregon, Marshall split time at both running back and receiver, spending his first two seasons in the backfield and his final two on the outside.

"They told me the week of the first game my junior season they were going to move me out to the slot," Marshall said. "They felt they needed someone there. They thought I was able to do the job."

The decision to move Marshall likely surprised plenty of Oregon fans at the time, as the running back was coming off of a season in which he totaled 1,038 yards and 14 touchdowns on 168 carries.

"At first, I was salty about it. I can't lie," Marshall said of the position change. "It came out of nowhere. I was the leading rusher coming back from the Pac-12, and I felt like I was going to have a breakout season. I had put in a lot of work. But I took it as I could either sit here and pout, or I could accept it and make the most of it. I think it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."

In his first season as a full-time receiver, Marshall caught 74 passes for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns. He also carried the ball 52 times for 392 yards and one touchdown.

Marshall's draft stock took a hit, however, when he tore multiple ligaments in his right ankle, causing him to miss all but four games his senior season.

"It happened on a kick return. I was trying to go one way and someone had my foot," Marshall said. "They twisted it, I got tackled, and my body twisted the other way and it just snapped."

Much like the switch from running back to receiver turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Marshall, going undrafted as a result of the injury might have been as well.

Many players, especially in the later rounds, sometime prefer to go undrafted as it allows them to pick their destination, as opposed to being stuck in one as a seventh-round pick that might not be ideal. For Marshall, the decision to come to the Eagles was an easy one, and it had plenty to do with one player already on the roster -- Darren Sproles.

"I think my style and his style are real similar," Marshall said. "I thought it would be very cool to be able to pick his brain a little bit and see how he works. A guy like that is someone I admire and look up to."

Marshall comes to Philadelphia already knowing two players on the roster, as he is close with both running back Kenjon Barner -- who he played with at Oregon -- and receiver Josh Huff.

With the ability to play both receiver and running back, as well as having two veteran players to lean on, Marshall is clearly very confident about his chances of landing a roster spot.

"I think there are opportunities," Marshall said, "at receiver and at running back."

THE NO-HUDDLE SHOW, Ep. 37: Wentz, Bradford & draft thoughts

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Soundcloud.

Eliot Shorr-Parks may be reached at eshorrpa@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EliotShorrParks. Find NJ.com Sports on Facebook.