The Philadelphia Eagles are coming into training camp with Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow battling to be the third string quarterback for starter Sam Bradford and backup Mark Sanchez this season and Chip Kelly could look at the trade or release of the loser of that training camp battle and this comes as the team has signed free agent John Moffitt to a contract after the release of Evan Mathis.
The Eagles are coming into camp with Bradford at the top of the depth chart ahead of Sanchez, while Tebow and Barkley are the candidates for third string. Tebow was signed in the offseason to a deal, while Barkley has thrown just 50 passes in two years under Kelly. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Barkley could be in danger of losing his job as the third string quarterback from last season if he is outplayed by Tebow in training camp and the preseason.
According to NJ.com's Eliot Shor-Parks, Tebow has a good chance to make the roster and he predicts that Tebow will make it over Barkley. Barkley was reportedly a Chip Kelly draft pick even when Howie Roseman was running things, but after the way he has played the past two years, Tebow might be more valuable to Chip Kelly. While Barkley is a more conventional QB, at third string that doesn't offer much value, while Tebow can contribute on special packages, short yardage plays and on two point conversions, which likely will be more frequent this year with new rule changes.
If Tebow doesn't play well in the preseason or training camp that could make the decision easier, but if Barkley and Tebow are even, Kelly likely will make a move with Barkley. The team shopped Barkley in trades at the NFL draft, but the team did not come close to making a deal. If injuries happen in camp or in the preseason, the Eagles could look at dealing Barkley again. Tebow had some issues in OTAs, but he has the chance to prove himself in camp with Barkley for Kelly.
Kelly reportedly will give Sanchez the chance to win the starting job, but Bradford likely has the edge as long as he is healthy. Kelly is comfortable with Sanchez as the backup, as he showed a good grasp of the offense last season after coming in for Nick Foles, who missed half the schedule with a shoulder injury. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Sanchez looks "substantially" better than he did last year with the Eagles during OTAs and that is because he has a very good grasp on the offense. While Bradford is coming in as the starter, Sanchez could push him if he is not fully healthy yet.
The Eagles released guard Evan Mathis after dealing with a contract dispute and now Kelly has replaced him with a free agent. According to Pro Football Talk, the Eagles have signed John Moffitt to a deal and he will "compete for a roster spot" in training camp. The team announced the deal on Monday and it comes after Moffitt previously retired when he was a member of the Denver Broncos in 2013. Moffitt is 28-years-old and could give the Eagles a depth option after releasing Mathis.
Check here for more on the Eagles and training camp battles.
