The Philadelphia Eagles did not go crazy and trade Sam Bradford to the Cleveland Browns to get Marcus Mariota during the NFL draft and with Bradford coming in as the starter, Chip Kelly could look at a trade with Matt Barkley after the team signed Tim Tebow as a free agent and his comes after the team picked Nelson Agholor in the first round.
The Eagles missed the playoffs last season after making it as division champions in the first year under Kelly and now they will be pushing to get back into the postseason. Kelly traded Nick Foles in the offseason for Bradford and after speculation that he would continue making moves, Kelly has put his confidence in Bradford as the starter. Kelly has been making bold moves this offseason, including trading away starting running back LeSean McCoy and he could continue on that track.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, Barkley's hold on the third string quarterback position is "not secure" and there is a chance he could be traded. Pro Football Talk reported earlier in the offseason that Barkley was on the trade block and now that Tim Tebow has been signed, he is no lock to even make the roster. Kelly likes getting value from every position on the roster and with Barkley barley playing over the past two years, Kelly may want Tebow over him on the 53-man roster.
The Eagles liked what Tebow did in his workout and they signed him to a contract and now he gets the chance to battle with G.J. Kinne and Barkley for the third string position. Mark Sanchez was signed back in the offseason as the main backup on the roster and he will be second string behind Bradford. The Eagles had interest from the Dolphins in Barkley, but they ended up signing Josh Freeman instead.
Barkley could end up getting released if the team can't find a trade, as Kelly likely wants Tebow in as the third string quarterback after signing him to a deal. Barkley has been knocked for not having great arm strength and that could be one reason why the Eagles decide to move on. For as shrewd as Kelly has been and for how praise has been heaped on him, the pick of Barkley looks bad now based on some other third round picks in the past and now he is hoping to get any type of compensation for him.
Agholor had a great year at USC and Kelly praised his ball skills and route running after the draft, saying that the receiver had some of the best hands in the nation. Agholor should be one of the primary weapons for Bradford in the offense along with Jordan Matthews, who had a strong rookie season last year.
The team has a solid roster of WRs with Miles Austin, Josh Huff and Riley Cooper, but Matthews and Agholor appear to be the best of that bunch. Those players likely will start and Matthews comes in after impressing with 67 catches for 872 yards last season. Agholor should get the chance to be the number two receiver and even if Cooper beats him out, he should get a ton of playing time after being a first round pick.
