The Philadelphia Eagles may look to trade Matt Barkley if Tim Tebow wins the third straight job behind Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez in camp and this comes after Chip Kelly shopped Barkley this past offseason, while DeMarco Murray has been limited in training camp practices alongside Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles to help keep the running back fresh.
The Eagles were one of the most talked about teams in the offseason with all the moves Kelly made and now many are wondering how those moves will play out this season. Sam Bradford is coming in after two knee surgeries and Kelly is expecting him to be the starter after trading away Nick Foles. Bradford likely will sit out the first week of the preseason, but he has not "missed a single rep" of training camp so far this summer, according to NJ.com.
Bradford was limited this offseason in minicamp workouts, but he has had no restrictions in training camp and Eliot Shorr-Parks reports that Bradford has shown "no signs" of having any issues with his knee. Bradford last played in an NFL regular season game in 2013 for the Rams and he later was injured in the 2014 preseason. Earlier in the summer Kelly said that Bradford and Sanchez were in competition, but at this point it is expected that barring an injury, Bradford will be the starter.
The third string job has some intrigue this season for the Eagles, as Matt Barkley is coming into his third season and the team has signed Tim Tebow. Barkley and Tebow are battling for the third quarterback spot and there is a chance the loser of that battle will be off the team. Sanchez proved to be a solid backup last year for Foles and he will take that role now for Bradford. The Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News wrote that Barkley was "no lock" to keep his job. According to the Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski, Barkley is "still available" for a trade after being shopped earlier in the offseason.
Barkley only threw one pass last season and that could be a hint about what Kelly is going to do between Tebow and Barkley. Last season Sanchez came in and played half the schedule for Foles and Barkley was barley used and with Tebow coming in, Kelly could see the former Broncos QB as more of a weapon than Barkley. At best, Barkley is a so-so backup quarterback, while Tebow at least can give some more added value, as he can be used on running plays, in short yardage situations and as a decoy.
Kelly also has to find a way to manage his running backs and the Eagles are happy with that problem, as the team has three strong players who can get carries in DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. According to Philly.com, Murray has had a "light workload" in training camp so far and the running back said it's a positive thing, adding that there is a "difference between getting the reps you need and getting too many reps." Last season Murray led the league in rushing and carries the ball nearly 400 times for the Cowboys.
