The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly traded third-string quarterback Matt Barkley to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. The Eagles will earn a sixth-round pick if Barkley is on the Cardinals’ roster for at least six games in the 2015 season, per NFL Network’s insider Ian Rapoport.
Barkley, who was unimpressive throughout training camp and the preseason, ends his three-year Eagles career without a touchdown pass. He appeared in back-to-back games against the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants in the middle of the 2013 season, throwing four interceptions without leading the Eagles to any offensive points.
Arizona’s acquisition of Barkley could signal the end for disappointing 2014 third-round pick Logan Thomas.
The news also means that Tim Tebow has very likely made the 53-man roster for the Eagles. The only plausible scenario for Tebow getting cut would be if the Eagles decided to roll with just two quarterbacks, but that’s a major risk considering Sam Bradford’s injury history. While it’s easy to focus on Tebow’s obvious flaws, in fairness, he clearly outplayed Barkley this preseason.
Regarding the Barkley trade, give Chip Kelly a lot of credit for finding a way to earn some value on a player that practically everybody in the league knew would be cut in the next 24 hours.
