The Philadelphia Eagles are coming into offseason workouts with DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews set to start for Sam Bradford on offense and Chip Kelly may look at a Matt Barkley trade after OTAs in training camp, as Tim Tebow was signed as a free agent and he is expected to take over as the third string quarterback behind Mark Sanchez at backup.
The Eagles are coming into OTA workouts with a number of new players adjusting to Chip Kelly's offense, including DeMarco Murray, San Bradford, Ryan Mathews, Kiko Alonso and rookie Nelson Agholor. Kelly said after the draft that he expects Agholor to contribute right away and he also added that he sees Murray as the lead back with Mathews more of a third down option and receiver out of the backfield.
The Eagles were one of the most active teams in the offseason and after bringing in Sam Bradford and signing back Mark Sanchez, the quarterback situation is still sorting itself out. The team signed Tim Tebow as a free agent and with reports that Matt Barkley could be traded or cut, it looks like Tebow will be the third string quarterback. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, Tebow has the "inside track" on the third string job and Barkley's status on the roster could be "not secure" after the team brought in Tebow.
Barkley was reportedly on the trade block before the NFL draft and the Eagles spoke with the Dolphins about a deal, but it never came close to happening. Pro Football Talk reported that if Tebow was signed, Barkley could be traded and that still could be the case. Barkley likely will stay until training camp, as Sam Bradford is coming in with a knee issue from last year and may be handled with care. Barkley can prove himself then, but it looks like Tebow will be the third string option.
The Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News reported that Barkley was a "Chip Kelly pick" even though Howie Roseman was running things and if that was the case, clearly it has been a failed one. Barkley has thrown 50 pro passes and last season with Nick Foles out for half the year, he only had one attempt. Sanchez is back as the backup and he could end up starting again if Bradford goes down with an injury. Bradford is coming off of two knee surgeries, but Kelly sees him as the starter and now that Tebow has been signed, he likely will be the third stringer.
Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles should give the Eagles some excellent depth at running back and even with LeSean McCoy gone, they should be strong on the ground. Murray comes in after rushing for a career high 1845 yards last season and he also played in 16 games for the first time in his career,. Murray is going to be the lead back, but expect Mathews and Sproles to get carries, as Murray had nearly twice as many touches last year as he has had in any season in his career. The Eagles will want to keep him fresh and Mathews can help with that if he can stay healthy. Murray is also a factor out of the backfield, making over 100 receptions in the last two seasons combined.
