Eagles acquire WR Dorial Green-Beckham from Tennessee Titans for OL Dennis Kelly

In an effort to bolster their wide receiving corps, the Eagles gambled on talent and character by acquiring Dorial Green-Beckham from the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday morning.

To bring the 2015 second-round pick to Philadelphia, the Eagles traded reserve offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. That was all it cost for one of last year's most tantalizing draft prospects, but it also shows how Green-Beckham's stock slipped in Tennessee.

"He's got a rare skill set," said Howie Roseman, Eagles executive vice president of football operations. "There's a reason he's available at this time. He's got to get more consistent, like we talked about. But for us and where we are in our development, it's a risk worth taking."

At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, Green-Beckham is an imposing receiver who becomes the Eagles' biggest target. His height and weight were the same as quarterback Carson Wentz, and Green-Beckham ran the 40-yard dash at last year's combine in 4.49 seconds. A former top high school recruit, Green-Beckham finished with 32 catches for 549 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.

However, Green-Beckham arrives with a checkered off-the-field history and fell out of favor with the team that drafted him after one season. It's the type of background former coach Chip Kelly steered away from during his time in control of the Eagles' roster.

Green-Beckham, 23, played at Missouri in 2012 and 2013 — he had 59 catches and 12 touchdowns in 2013 — but was dismissed after a burglary and assault investigation for allegedly pushing a female down stairs. He was not charged for the incident. He was also arrested twice for marijuana-related incidents, but again no charges were filed. He transferred to Oklahoma, but did not play a game for the Sooners, sitting out the 2014 season.

Roseman said the Eagles did background work on Green-Beckham's character and off-the-field transgressions in recent weeks. That included talking to those who knew Green-Beckham at Missouri, Oklahoma, and with the Titans. Roseman said there are no off-the-field issues that the Eagles are currently concerned about.

"Obviously he's made mistakes, but he's a good-hearted kid," Roseman said. "He has the right intentions. If you get a chance to spend some time with him, you'll see that. He's not a locker room cancer at all."

But the Titans were willing to deal him no matter how talented he might be. Titans coach Mike Mularkey bemoaned Green-Beckham's inconsistency to reporters earlier this summer, and he wanted Green-Beckham to do more work on his own.

Green-Beckham had fallen down the Titan's depth chart, and first-year Titans general manager Jon Robinson did not draft him.

Roseman was not involved in football decisions when Green-Beckham entered the 2015 draft, but coach Doug Pederson and Eagles executives Jon Robinson and Andy Weidl met with Green-Beckham during the pre-draft process.

"Number 1, he's a big powerful guy, and he runs extremely well as far as slant routes go," Pederson said. "He's a big, physical presence right there. I think in the red zone — if you go back and watch some tape — he's got good vertical leap. He can elevate quickly. He can get over the top of defenders, which is sort of a comfort for the quarterback to be able to just put the ball in his area."

Green-Beckham is not the first player with off-the-field issues that Pederson has welcomed into the locker room. Roseman is responsible for the acquisitions, but Pederson is the one who must oversee them. Pederson said he learned from Andy Reid how to deal with these situations.

"We are not in the rehabilitation business," Pederson said. "But at the same time we feel like with the staff that I've assembled on offense and with the personnel staff upstairs that we can bring guys in that might have had a little bit of a history, and we can help these players not only become young men but become good football players."

The Eagles surrendered Dennis Kelly to complete the deal. Kelly was one of the longest-tenured Eagles after arriving with the team in 2012, and he started 15 games during his career. He had been the backup right tackle during training camp, but Pederson did not promote him after news broke of Lane Johnson's looming suspension.

Roseman said the Eagles are intrigued with their young linemen and also have other experienced backups such as Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner.

Plus, the return was too much to ignore. Coaches and front offices must always weigh risk against reward, and Green-Beckham's size and talent could offer significant reward. During the 2015 NFL draft, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said of Green-Beckham: "He has significant off-field issues. However, he is a freakish height-weight-speed guy. He looks like a young Randy Moss."

That was why the Eagles wanted Green-Beckham. He will travel with the team to Pittsburgh on Thursday, but he won't play. When he does, it will eventually become clear whether the Eagles bought good talent low, or they will realize why the Titans were willing to trade him.

"He's got an opportunity," Roseman said. "We're going in with our eyes open on it. It's going to be up to him to prove his value to this football team"

zberman@phillynews.com

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