Cardinals trade for Eagles QB Matt Barkley
Sep 4, 2015, 1:01 PM | Updated: 2:10 pm
Philadelphia Eagles' Matt Barkley (2) throws a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Oct. 27, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)
(AP Photo/Michael Perez)
The Arizona Cardinals have traded for Philadelphia Eagles QB Matt Barkley. The news was first reported by multiple sources, including FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer and ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Cardinals then confirmed the trade, which involves sending a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Eagles in exchange for the QB.
Barkley was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft by the Eagles. The former USC quarterback has played in four games over two seasons, three of which came in 2013.
He completed 30-of-49 passes for 300 yards for zero touchdowns and four interceptions that season. He made only one pass attempt in 2014, and it fell incomplete.
The Cardinals had been connected to Barkley prior to this trade, as back in 2013 — before he was drafted — the QB reportedly made a fantastic impression on Cardinals coach Bruce Arians and the rest of the organization.
The 6-foot-2, 227-pound Barkley was a highly-coveted recruit coming out of high school. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2009 ESPN 150. At USC Barkley started all four years, finishing with 12,327 yards passing with 116 touchdowns and 48 interceptions. He is the leading passer in USC history and was the only player in USC and Pac-12 history to throw for over 100 touchdowns in a career.
The Trojans went 34-17 during Barkley’s four years with the team.
It’s an interesting move for the Cardinals, who appeared to be down to undrafted rookie free agent Phillip Sims and last year’s fourth-round pick, Logan Thomas, for the third-string QB job behind Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.
Thomas appeared to gain an edge with his performance in Thursday night’s preseason finale, and Friday Sims took to social media essentially saying he was cut. It appeared that meant Thomas would be the third QB, but now that is not the case.
Now, it is possible for Thomas and/or Sims to wind up on the practice squad, though they’d have to be passed over by every other team in order for that to happen.
