The Philadelphia Eagles began the third day of the 2013 NFL Draft by taking the biggest name player available in Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley.
NFL Draft 2013: How Matt Barkley fits the Philadelphia Eagles
The Southern California quarterback is headed to Philly, but just how good of a fit is he in Chip Kelly’s offense?
How he fits in Chip Kelly’s offense is somewhat unknown because no one knows exactly how Kelly’s NFL offense will operate. But look for Kelly to fit his system around the players he has on the roster. That’s something that both Daniel Jeremiah and Albert Breer pointed out on NFL Network.
“The Chip Kelly offense makes you think on the move,” Jeremiah said. From that standpoint, Barkley is a good fit. On the field, he’s arguably the smartest quarterback in the draft this year.
Kelly said right after the pick that Barkley was rated as a top-50 player for the Eagles.
“There was no better value for us to open up with than to take Matt,” Kelly said. “If you go to the film he’s had an outstanding career and we’re excited to have him.”
It’s also worth noting that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was reportedly very high on Barkley going all the way back to last year’s draft. The Eagles also have Pat Shurmur as offensive coordinator. He’s as much of a West Coast offense disciple as anyone in the league. Shurmur will work in some of the short-passing that Barkley excelled using at USC.
"He doesn't have the strongest arm, but he can put the ball on you," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said on NFL Network. "It's about the player, not the plays. They're going to run plays to take advantage of his skill set."
The drafting of Barkley obviously puts backup Nick Foles on notice in Philadelphia. It also gives the Eagles possibly the quarterback of the future.
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