Five Big-Picture Takeaways from Eagles Preseason Game Three

3.) The Eagles Better Not Need their 3rd String Quarterback this Season

Aug 29, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow (11) warms up before game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

What started as a mildly entertaining, bar-room debate over who would lock down the 3rd-string quarterback spot on the Eagles depth chart behind Bradford and Mark Sanchez has soured in a big way. After showing some promise in the preseason opener, both Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow have underwhelmed in both the following exhibition games. Neither Barkley nor Tebow led any type of scoring drive Saturday and could be making things awfully difficult for skill players further down the depth chart to try to land a roster spot.

Though some might scoff at the notion of prioritizing a spot that far down on the depth chart, neither of Chip Kelly’s previous Eagles teams have made it through a season without injuries at the quarterback position. Especially when teams are able to field competent options at the 3rd and even 4th slot as far as signal-callers go, the struggles beyond Bradford and Sanchez are frustrating. Both Barkley and Tebow run similar versions of Kelly’s ‘quarterback friendly’ system and, to this point, are coming up small.

To expect any sort of return in a trade for Matt Barkley at this point would be unrealistic. To continue to try to validate a roster spot, especially on a team loaded with as much talent as it is, with Tim Tebow is unfair to a handful of players capable of helping the team. Obviously, the Eagles are a team that needs to keep three quarterbacks and will likely lose out on having a solid player on the roster because of it. Unfortunately, the forgettable showings by Barkley and Tebow are starting to affect how the team can adequately evaluate those dependent on the quarterback doing his job.

If nothing else, the 4th preseason game may at least provide some intrigue to what has become a dull storyline. For how well both Bradford and Sanchez run Kelly’s offense, to have two players seemingly incapable of anything remotely close to that type of performance to this point in the preseason is more of an annoyance than anything. Usually one of the best parts of exhibition football is illogically falling in love with the 3rd string quarterback’s mop-up duty performances, knowing full-well that seeing him in any type of game action beyond the preseason would likely mean that disaster has struck.