The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Tim Tebow to a free agent deal ahead of the NFL draft and now Chip Kelly may look at a trade with Matt Barkley, as he reportedly is on the trading block following the deal to bring in Sam Bradford and this comes as Marcus Mariota could be a potential target for the team.
The Eagles have been one of the most active teams in the league this offseason and they surprised many by signing Tim Tebow. The team worked out Tebow last month and that came after the Eagles signed back Mark Sanchez and traded away Nick Foles for Sam Bradford. According to Fox Sports and ESPN.com, Tebow signed a one year deal and the team announced the news on Monday, although financial terms were not disclosed at the time.
While most teams add a quarterback for offseason workouts and summer training camp, the Eagles may want Tebow to stick around. Kelly uses a unique offensive system and this could be one team where Tebow actually could contribute. Tebow was previously teammates with Mark Sanchez and while the New York tabloids had a field day with that, this time around things should be less hectic.
There have been reports this offseason that the Eagles could look at Marcus Mariota in the NFL draft, but Kelly has come out to say that the team will not "mortgage" the future for one player. Some coaches don't buy that line from Kelly and there is a chance that the team moves up for Mariota after adding Tebow. Kelly said Bradford is not a "trade chip", but there have been offers made, including from the Cleveland Browns and they could remain interested in Bradford.
Barkley is likely to get traded or released at some point down the line if Kelly wants to keep Tebow, as Sanchez and presumably Bradford are the top two quarterbacks. Tebow makes for a solid third string player and with how little Barkley played over the last two seasons, it's likely that he is the expendable one. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, the third string job is "not secure" for Barkley and it comes after reports that he was on the trading block.
The Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News reports that the Dolphins were interested in Barkley and the teams almost pulled off a trade, but instead Miami went with Josh Freeman. The Browns are reportedly interested in Bradford and if Kelly is serious about Mariota, he could use that to try and move up with the Tennessee Titans. The Browns are also interested in Mariota and reports have the Chargers and Bears as possible options to trade up.
The Eagles have traded LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles this offseason and with early reports that they could trade up for Mariota, Kelly could be plotting another major move. Bradford was acquired for significant draft compensation, so Kelly would likely have to use him if he wants Mariota. Kelly was with Mariota at Oregon and that is one reason why some think he could go after the QB.