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The Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Conundrum

By Matt Giraldi

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There are approximately nine weeks left in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ offseason and the bulk of the roster heading into training camp is fluidly set in sand. With rosters swollen to 90 players, it doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out there will be several heart-broken football players prior to September 14th. In the time between now and the start of training camp, I will be focusing on the positional battles that ultimately will lead to a player (or players) no longer being affiliated with the Philadelphia Eagles. The first, and most prevalent to the Eagles’ success in 2015, is the depth chart of quarterback.

We know that the much maligned Mark Sanchez will compete with the oft-injured Sam Bradford for the job as the starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. What we do not know is whether Tim Tebow or Matt Barkley will make the 53-man roster as the emergency quarterback (or two-point specialist). Splitting hairs over the emergency quarterback is rarely a focal point of conversation in a normal realm.

"“I am not going to run my quarterback 20 times on power runs.” – Chip Kelly (2011)"

Unfortunately, anything and everything associated with Timothy Tebow’s professional football career fails to register as normal. Tebow is criticized by masses, adorned for his demeanor and lifestyle, and a hot-button topic all wrapped into a physical specimen of an athlete. And then there’s Matt Barkley, who arguably would have been in the discussion as the number one pick in the 2013 NFL draft prior to a separated shoulder. And now both players’ professional careers hang by the thread of hope that they make this roster.

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If having success in the NFL carries any weight with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, Tim Tebow enters training camp with a sizable lead over the third-string incumbent Matt Barkley.

If we factor in the fact that during the 2011 season Tim Tebow had a 104.9 quarterback rating with a lead of eight or fewer points, does that bolster the chances of Tebow making the roster? Do his 11 career red zone rushing touchdowns sound promising for a Philadelphia Eagles team that struggled mightily in the red zone a season ago? I would chalk both up to be positives for Tebow’s chances to the make the 53-man roster for the Eagles.

The limited opportunities to see Matt Barkley take on NFL defenses produced a mixed bag of results. Whether or not his shoulder is 100%, or ever will be, is clearly going to be the topic of conversation for his career. Last preseason highlighted his inconsistencies as a professional quarterback. A 63.1% completion percentage was accompanied by a 3:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Against the personnel that Barkley was facing, those numbers just aren’t good enough. And perhaps the most telling aspect of Barkley’s failures has been his redundant tendency to stare down his receivers.

The training camp battle for the third string quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles will largely overshadow the battle for the starting quarterback. Whether Tim Tebow is actually used for goal-line situations and two-point conversions is a topic that can be revisited down the road, but it’s simply a matter of when, not if. Matt Barkley had a fine tenure at USC, but neither Barkley nor G.J. Kinne offer the intangibles that Tim Tebow has in his arsenal. As is the case with any player on the bubble of the roster, the ability to contribute in multiple ways ultimately decides who stays and who goes. In this case, Matt Barkley and G.J. Kinne will go.

Next: Sam Bradford Finally Has Offensive Weapons

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