PHILADELPHIA -- Any speculation about the Philadelphia Eagles' offseason plans must be tempered by the Chip Kelly element. Kelly said during the season that he doesn’t leak information to reporters, so everything reported about his thinking must be considered secondhand.

That said, if Kelly does try to make a move to obtain Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the NFL draft, at some point he will have to talk to other teams. And once that happens, there will be firsthand information out there. It’s a little early for that process to begin.

Example: A report by NJ.com this week said that several teams, including the St. Louis Rams, might be interested if the Eagles decide to trade quarterback Nick Foles. That report could be accurate without Kelly saying a word to anyone. The Eagles presumably would be interested if the Green Bay Packers decide to trade Aaron Rodgers, but that doesn’t mean Rodgers is going anywhere.

There is some interesting fodder in the idea of the Eagles using Foles to move up in the draft. St. Louis holds the 10th pick in the first round. The Eagles are at 20. If they were to offer their pick plus Foles, St. Louis might consider that. They would be getting a 26-year-old starting quarterback plus the chance to fill another need with the 20th pick in the draft.

With the 10th pick, the Eagles would be in much better position to move up to the first or second spot to draft Mariota. They could package players and picks in this draft or future drafts. Tampa Bay, which has the first pick, would be more likely to be interested in a deal that would still allow them to draft in the top 10 this year. Same with Tennessee, which is holding the second pick.

There is also considerable speculation that Mariota could slide down in the draft. That speculation may be supported by word that Mariota may not throw at the scouting combine in February. He injured his throwing shoulder in the national championship game.

Teams wouldn’t likely downgrade Mariota just for not throwing at the combine. But teams with questions about his ability to make certain throws will not be able to get those questions answered. There will be other opportunities, from Oregon’s pro day to private workouts, but the combine is designed for maximum exposure to NFL scouts.

And if Mariota did slide far enough to be available with the 10th pick, the Rams would then have to weigh a trade for Foles against the chance to acquire a prospect like Mariota. Ultimately, the Eagles are at the mercy of other teams in any scenario that brings them Mariota.