The big news in the NFL today is that Jets Quarterback Geno Smith was punched by teammate IK Enemkpali over a $600 plane ticket. The resulting sucker punch has ended Geno Smith’s hope of finally catching a break at the Jets as he will now miss between six and ten weeks..so what do the Jets do?
Well, if you haven’t guessed by the article title already..we have a solution. Take. Matt. Barkley. Think about it, Barkley in many ways is similar to Geno Smith. Both were expected to shine and haven’t for a variety of reasons and both have endured similar amounts of time in the league. The Jets are down at Quarterback, there’s no question about it and the Eagles are arguably up at the position.
Sam Bradford is now fully healthy and expecting to start against the Colts this Sunday, the birds have the best backup in the league in terms of Mark Sanchez and now Tim Tebow has been showing fantastic signs of improvement throughout training camp (whilst still maintaining slight inconsistency). That’s your three guys who are going to make the 53-man roster.
Barkley has been unimpressive in practice. A few good camp days but nothing that stands out as a vast improvement over the limited snaps we have seen him take in his short tenure with the Eagles. His arm strength is still underwhelming and his decision making is questionable. But that doesn’t mean he is beyond saving, he just needs a helping hand.
A trade for a conditional pick would make sense to all three parties, both parties and Barkley himself. Here’s why.
Jets:
In exchange for a pick, the team would pick up a Quarterback who has 30 completions in 50 passing attempts over two seasons to his name. That doesn’t sound that impressive..because it isn’t..but it’s experience nonetheless. Experience that signing an Undrafted rookie would not possess. He has also spent time with the Eagles practice squad, being mentored by former number one pick Sam Bradford and Eagles record setter Nick Foles. An Undrafted rookie who was not good enough to be picked in the opening seven rounds or be signed by now would perhaps bring even less benefit to the team. The team need a young Quarterback they can invest a future into. With Smith perhaps having his final shot snatched away, it’s the perfect solution. The Jets would not need to trade away a great deal for the QB as his value is so low, it’s low risk and a potential high reward..other than an ageing injury prone Vick, there aren’t a lot of viable options for New York. Barkley may be the cheapest and most hopeful of all of them.
Eagles:
For the birds it’s a no brainer. Barkley has been the only Quarterback to be drafted by Chip Kelly and has simply not had the chance to flourish for a variety of reasons. From his disappointing flurries and concerning interception record, to Nick Foles ripping any chance of getting more reps away and Mark Sanchez doing the same as a backup. Barkley has never been seen as a reliable option for the Eagles and have been trying to find him a new home for a considerable amount of time. For someone who’s deep in the process of rebuilding a team, every draft pick counts (as we learnt from the Boykin trade) and with Barkley’s stock value being so low and the Jets expected to have a sub par season, even a low round pick could benefit the team hugely. Not only do they shift some deadwood, but secure a future talent and can give security to Tim Tebow.
Barkley:
For Matt Barkley, the answer is simple. It’s a starting job. A no brainer. If he stays in Philly, his career will be vastly limited. It was a do or die training camp for the USC product and unfortunately he may now be on a lifeline. But everything happens for a reason, the Jets hand may have been forced hugely, sending Barkley into a starting role and giving him a shot to show the world what he can do. A chance he simply will not get in Philadelphia. This could be the chance he’s waited three years for.
