The Philadelphia Eagles are shopping a Matt Barkley trade heading into the NFL draft and the team may target Marcus Mariota in the first round or Tim Tebow on the free agent market if the quarterback is traded and this comes after Chip Kelly traded for Sam Bradford this offseason and he likely will be the starter if the move for Mariota doesn't happen.
The Eagles have been one of the most active teams in the NFL this offseason and they have a new-look offense with DeMarco Murray and Bradford coming in. Kelly was given control of the team roster those offseason after Howie Roseman was "promoted" and he has not been shy about making move. Kelly made cuts to veteran players and he also traded away a fan favorite in LeSean McCoy. Kelly added Kiko Alonso and brought in Bradford and now heading into the draft, he could be ready to make more moves.
NBC Washington's Dianna Marie Russini reported that the Eagles are looking to trade Barkley this offseason and that they would take a "late round draft pick" to get a deal done. The team could release Barkley, but they likely will wait and see if another team would be willing to give up a pick for him. All this comes after the team held a workout for Tim Tebow last month and that could lead to him getting a deal in Philly.
Russini reported that the Eagles thought Tebow "looked good" in his workout and that there is an "80 percent chance" the Eagles will bring in Tebow if they move Barkley. Barkley was the third string quarterback for the team last season and he has not played much over the last two years. The Eagles likely are not worried about any other teams signing Tebow before they do, which gives them time to shop a deal.
According to Pro Football Talk, Kelly and the Eagles could still look at moving up for Mariota even after trading for Sam Bradford. The report says that coaches around the league think that the Eagles are interested in moving up for Mariota. After making the trade, Kelly said that Bradford would not be used as a trade chip and that they would not "mortgage" the draft for one player, but some in the NFL are still not convinced.
Earlier in the offseason, NJ.com reported that the Eagles were "seriously interested" in moving for Mariota and that Kelly could pull multiple moves to make it happen. Mariota was the quarterback for Kelly at Oregon and many see him as a good fit for the offense Kelly runs in the NFL. Bradford has had multiple knee surgeries but Kelly gave up some significant picks for him.
Mariota could remain a target, but the team will have some competition. The Chargers are working out Mariota and could look at trading up for him, while the Cleveland Browns also could make a move. The Browns have two first round picks this season and they also have the most selections of any team in the draft.
