The Philadelphia Eagles are coming into training camp hoping that Sam Bradford can take the bulk of first team reps and if he is not fully recovered, Mark Sanchez will step in and this comes as the team could consider a trade with Matt Barkley this summer if Tim Tebow makes the roster at quarterback, while Ryan Mathews, DeMarco Murray and Darren Sproles are splitting time at running back.
Bradford was acquired in the offseason for Nick Foles with a trade with the Rams and he is still recovering from knee surgery from last year. According to CBS Sports, Bradford was "still hobbled" during OTA workouts and that put Mark Sanchez with the first team offense for most of camp. The team has Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow on the roster, but once Bradford gets healthy, Kelly likely will make a decision on which three to go with.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, Barkley is not a lock to stay on the roster and his spot as the number three quarterback is "not secure" behind Mark Sanchez. Last season Barkley had just one pass attempt and overall he has had just 50 in two years. Sanchez showed he can handle the Kelly offense last season while stepping in for Foles and that is why the team brought him back as a free agent for this season. The team has shopped Barkley and he could be traded if injuries come up for teams in camp.
Howie Roseman was formerly in charge of making draft decisions with the Eagles, but once he was pushed out for Kelly, the head coach started making some serious moves. Adding to the Barkley situation is the fact that he reportedly was a Kelly pick, although right now it looks like that pick was mostly a waste. Barkley has potential, but he needs a ton of work and after throwing just one pass last season despite Nick Foles being out for half the year, it doesn't seem like Kelly values Barkley much.
Adding Tim Tebow gives the team more versatility at quarterback and while Barkley is a better "conventional" QB than Tebow, his added value is nothing compared to Tebow's. Kelly could get creative in short yardage situations or on two point conversations with Tebow, but with Barkley that's not a realistic option. The Eagles are pushing the rushing game hard this season, as they have Murray, Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles. Murray will be the starting RB this year and Mathews could give the Eagles the best one-two punch in the NFL.
The Eagles have been making a ton of moves this offseason, the latest being the release of Evan Mathis. Mathis has been dealing with unhappiness about his contract over the past couple years and after staying away from team activities, Chip Kelly cut him loose. Mathis now is out after being a Pro Bowl offensive lineman, but even with that, Jason Peters said to Pro Football Talk that the offensive line is the best in the NFL. DeMarco Murray is hoping that is true, as he comes in after playing being the best line in football with the Cowboys last year.
