interesting read, especially for this kind of speculative analysis

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000168301/article/matt-barkley-is-a-perfect-fit-for-philadelphia-eagles-new-system



Matt Barkley could be the next Tom Brady and should be the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback of the future.

Don't laugh. That statement is based on my belief that the Eagles' fourth-round selection steps into a perfect situation that sets him up for individual success, while giving a championship-starved franchise a young quarterback with the pedigree to carry Philly over the threshold. With veteran Michael Vick ahead of Barkley on the depth chart right now, it's a situation reminiscent of Brady playing behind Drew Bledsoe for a season in 2000 before emerging to take over the New England Patriots' offense in 2001.

A closer look at the dynamics of Philadelphia's new offensive philosophy, coaching staff and personnel leads me to believe that Barkley will not only outplay his counterparts early in his career, but he will guide the Eagles back to prominence.

Here are four reasons why:

1) Chip Kelly's desire to play at a fast tempo plays to the strengths of Barkley's game.

All the conversation about Kelly's offensive philosophy revolving around the spread option is incorrect. The Eagles' system will be based around the notion of playing at a breakneck pace. Kelly is one of the biggest proponents of no-huddle football. He will implement a warp-speed approach in Philadelphia.

To operate at blinding speed, the quarterback must be able to process a tremendous amount of information quickly while getting the team in the proper play. Additionally, the quarterback must have a thorough understanding of the game plan and defensive concepts to make the correct checks and adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

Barkley is a cerebral quarterback with an exceptionally high football IQ. He processes information quickly, makes sound decisions under duress and enters the league with a thorough understanding of pro offensive concepts after spending four years in a complex system at USC. Most importantly, Barkley gained some experience directing a no-huddle offense during his junior and senior seasons (and directing two-minute drills throughout his career). Now, those moments certainly pale in comparison to directing a frenetic attack like the one Kelly orchestrated at Oregon, but it provided the Eagles' coach with a glimpse of how well Barkley could operate within a lightning-paced offense built on speed and tempo.

Pondering how the no-huddle could work with Barkley, I can envision the Eagles utilizing an approach that is similar to the methods employed in Denver and New England, with Peyton Manning and Brady at the respective controls. Both veterans are masters at changing the pace of the game -- based on the reaction of the defense -- to create an advantage for the offense. Additionally, the rapid pace forces defensive coordinators to utilize simple schemes due to concerns about communication issues between the defenders. Without having to worry about deciphering complex pre-snap looks, a young quarterback like Barkley could thrive early in his career as a passer and playmaker.

2) Pat Shurmur's familiarity with West Coast principles will benefit Barkley.

Observers have speculated that Kelly would attempt to bring his zone-read system to the NFL, but the hiring of Shurmur as the Eagles' offensive coordinator makes it highly likely the team will use a hybrid offense with several West Coast principles. This makes the Barkley pick a sensible one, given his experience running a similar system at USC.

Sure, Lane Kiffin's version of the West Coast offense is certainly different than the one likely to be employed by the Eagles, but the verbiage and concepts will transfer over. Barkley will enter the NFL with a working knowledge of the Eagles' base scheme. That knowledge will accelerate his learning curve and allow Kelly to load him up with information early in the installation process.

Additionally, Barkley's familiarity with the West Coast offense will help him master the checks and adjustments used at the line of scrimmage. Kelly's desire to operate at a breakneck pace makes it mandatory for the starting quarterback to make quick decisions at the line. Barkley's thorough understanding of the offense should help him make sound decisions under duress, which bodes well for Kelly getting the pace and tempo he desires.

Now, I know there has been some concern about Barkley's marginal athleticism, and how he would fit into a system that also features some zone-read concepts. But the beauty of the zone-read is the myriad of variations that can be utilized to help a non-athletic quarterback thrive as the point man. From the incorporation of the bubble screen on the backside of the zone-read to the implementation of packaged plays (run-pass combination plays that give the quarterback options based on the reaction of the defense), Barkley certainly has the instincts and football IQ to successfully execute the concept.

Remember, the quarterback in Kelly's Oregon system didn't run that often -- Marcus Mariota logged 106 carries in 13 games last season, an average of 8.2 attempts per contest -- so inserting a non-runner shouldn't dramatically affect the potency of the attack.

3) The Eagles' explosive perimeter weapons will make the game easier for Barkley.

Barkley isn't viewed as a transcendent franchise quarterback in the mold of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, but that doesn't mean he can't develop into a championship-caliber signal-caller with the right pieces around him.

I've watched Barkley progress throughout his career and believe he is the ultimate game manager, with a "pass-first" point guard mentality that allows him to distribute the ball to the open guy, rather than forcing it to a designated playmaker. During his final two seasons at USC, Barkley's top two targets (Robert Woods and Marqise Lee) averaged 93.5 and 95.5 receptions per season, respectively. Additionally, Barkley frequently targeted the Trojans' tight ends and running backs, offsetting the two-deep coverage utilized by most opponents to take away the explosive weapons on the outside. This was particularly effective in 2011, when Barkley directed a USC offense that finished with eight players boasting 10 or more receptions, including a pair of tight ends (Randall Telfer and Xavier Grimble) who combined to snag 41 balls for 417 yards and nine touchdowns.

In Philadelphia, Barkley is surrounded by the kind of talent that should encourage him to spread the wealth in the passing game. On the perimeter, he has a pair of dynamic pass catchers in Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. Both guys have shown the capacity to take over games from their respective positions. Maclin functions primarily as a possession receiver, while Jackson acts as the big-play threat on the outside. Collectively, they pose problems to opponents with their speed and burst.

At tight end and fullback/H-back, the Eagles have an intriguing trio of playmakers (Brent Celek, James Casey and rookie Zach Ertz) with the potential to wreak havoc between the hashes. Each player possesses the size, speed and athleticism to work down the seam, while also showing the versatility to align as a quasi-receiver in open formations to create mismatches. This gives Kelly the ability to utilize a variety of formations from "12" (one back, two tight ends and two receivers) and "21" (two backs, one tight end and two receivers) personnel packages, helping his quarterback find easy completions in the passing game.

Factor in an explosive running game featuring LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown, and Barkley steps into a high-revving offense that simply needs an efficient conductor at the helm. With 47 collegiate starts directing a high-powered offense at USC, Barkley is primed to fill the role as the Eagles' eventual starter.

4) Playing behind Michael Vick for a season will help Barkley enjoy success in 2014.

Changing dynamics of the NFL have observers expecting young quarterbacks to start immediately. But the old-school method of slowly introducing the pro game to embryonic signal-callers continues to be an effective approach. Take a look at the careers of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and, most recently, Colin Kaepernick. Sitting behind an established starter can provide a young quarterback with enough time to acclimate to the pro game.

With Vick in the fold, Barkley steps into a situation that should afford him that opportunity. The veteran is in line to win a training-camp battle for the starting job, which would allow Barkley wait in the wings as the backup or No. 3 quarterback (behind Nick Foles) in his rookie season. This would allow him to watch the game from afar, avoiding the immense pressure and scrutiny that comes with stepping onto the field as a rookie starter. Additionally, it would give Kelly and his staff enough time to develop Barkley's skills on the practice field, fully preparing him for the pro game.

Sure, there have been several recent examples of young quarterbacks playing better than expected in Year 1, but the model for long-term success typically involves sitting and watching for some time before being handed the keys to the car. While Barkley could be primed and ready to roll as a rookie, the opportunity to cultivate his ability and build future game plans around his strengths could pay huge dividends for the Eagles down the road.

I don't see Philly niggas giving dude a pass off dat 'privilege.

> and enters the league with a thorough
>understanding of pro offensive concepts after spending four
>years in a complex system at USC.

apparently he hasn't watched the NFL for the past 10 or so years

>> and enters the league with a thorough
>>understanding of pro offensive concepts after spending four
>>years in a complex system at USC.
>
>apparently he hasn't watched the NFL for the past 10 or so
>years

played wideout at UNC

"Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1994 NFL
Draft, Bucky Brooks played for five different teams (Buffalo,
Jacksonville, Green Bay, Kansas City and Oakland) in five NFL seasons.
After his playing career was over in 1999, Brooks joined the Seattle
Seahawks' pro personnel department as a regional college scout. He
served in the same capacity for the Carolina Panthers from 2003-07,
before joining CNNSI.com as a football analyst. He joined NFL.com in 2009."


folks who watch NFL Network know he puts in work

unless they play for the giants.

keep on racking up the L's as you cling to these dude's in the pros, though.

the first in what would be a very long string of Lane-era L's for u

don't know why you have to set it up so easily

phil simms had sanchez as the next montana/marino/elway rolled into one and at least was pretty genuine about it...shit happens.

Especially the USC ones. I could even say the same for college...a lot of the ones that became stars in the last 10-15, maybe over half of them, weren't seen as a "MUST HAVE" Quarterback aside from Peyton and maybe Eli.

to begin beating back the backlash, because you know whenever the talking heads start singing that same song it inevitably is soon to be proven wrong.

Carson Palmer did work out for a bit pre-injuries & he's still not even as bad as most folks would have you believe he is (speaking of Eli, his QB Rating & Eli's were nearly identical last season).

Leinart wasn't a heralded high school QB, he was a fat teen who hit a growth spurt, caught a break & ended up starting on one of the more stacked teams in CFB history.

If he hadn't managed to finish the Cal game his sophomore year, it's possible that could have been Cassell doing it (speaking of Cassell, anybody other program got a backup QB who's started even ten games in the league? I guess the answer's no unless you count.......Tom Brady).

Leinart also didn't like to get hit or put the work in, two things you need at the next level.

And yet, Whisenhunt cut off his nose to spite his face not making him the starter post-Warner since he was Denny Green's guy & he had outplayed Anderson's wack ass in camp.

He would have been putting up numbers with the Texans after Schaub went down too (he was already showing you how irrelevant Schaub was in the first half, then got his collar-bone broken).

Sanchez was never as good or as heralded as Matt Barkley & had only started 14 games before going to the Jets.

Still, he was fine in the playoffs his first two years, he's just not a big enough talent to overcome a terrible organization & supporting cast.

Geno Smith is hopping aboard a sinking ship & if SC QB's are bad, I can't remember the last West Virginia QB to ever do anything at this level.

I'm happy that Geno went at least in the second & Manuel in the first as at least some small sign of progress in evaluating black signal-callers, because twenty years ago Major Harris was better than any West Virginia QB that I've ever watched before or since & he got picked in the 12th round (to the Raiders of course) and they tried to convert him to wide receiver even though his arm was huge & he had led WVU to a title-shot bowl.

But I digress....back to Matt.

Matt Barkley is the first dude to ever start Day One at Mater Dei or Day One at USC.

Dude is smarter in the student-of-the-game/playbook-studying sense than all of them & more talented than all but Carson.

He was also dealt a worse hand than any of them with the upheaval that took place there in the fallout from the Carroll Era.

I wasn't *that high* on him but the fact that he dropped to the fourth round to us, while we have a head coach who has been watching him closely while competing against him for four years, and that we got Ertz to go on the other side of Celek lets me know that Chip Kelly is in fact trying to implement something resembling what Belasterisk borrowed from him last year with the hurry-up/two-TE thing except with far more dangerous guys on the outside & an elite running back.

Add in bringing back four starters on the o-line who missed last season & a new left tackle (telling that he spent his first pick on a guy protecting the blind side of a right-hander rather than a lefty like Vick) and I actually expect our offense to work with Vick or Barkley this upcoming season.

Both will get a chance to play too because per usual Vick will miss time for injury.

Obviously there's a lot of other things that need to happen but the difference between how I feel about the Eagles right today versus January 1st, 2013 is staggering.

>(speaking of Cassell, anybody other program got a backup QB
>who's started even ten games in the league? I guess the
>answer's no unless you count.......Tom Brady).
>

who were rated high in HS...there's for sure a difference.

>to begin beating back the backlash, because you know whenever
>the talking heads start singing that same song it inevitably
>is soon to be proven wrong.
>
>Carson Palmer did work out for a bit pre-injuries & he's still
>not even as bad as most folks would have you believe he is
>(speaking of Eli, his QB Rating & Eli's were nearly identical
>last season).
>
>Leinart wasn't a heralded high school QB, he was a fat teen
>who hit a growth spurt, caught a break & ended up starting on
>one of the more stacked teams in CFB history.
>
>If he hadn't managed to finish the Cal game his sophomore
>year, it's possible that could have been Cassell doing it
>(speaking of Cassell, anybody other program got a backup QB
>who's started even ten games in the league? I guess the
>answer's no unless you count.......Tom Brady).
>
>Leinart also didn't like to get hit or put the work in, two
>things you need at the next level.
>
>And yet, Whisenhunt cut off his nose to spite his face not
>making him the starter post-Warner since he was Denny Green's
>guy & he had outplayed Anderson's wack ass in camp.
>
>He would have been putting up numbers with the Texans after
>Schaub went down too (he was already showing you how
>irrelevant Schaub was in the first half, then got his
>collar-bone broken).
>
>Sanchez was never as good or as heralded as Matt Barkley & had
>only started 14 games before going to the Jets.
>
>Still, he was fine in the playoffs his first two years, he's
>just not a big enough talent to overcome a terrible
>organization & supporting cast.
>
>Geno Smith is hopping aboard a sinking ship & if SC QB's are
>bad, I can't remember the last West Virginia QB to ever do
>anything at this level.
>
>I'm happy that Geno went at least in the second & Manuel in
>the first as at least some small sign of progress in
>evaluating black signal-callers, because twenty years ago
>Major Harris was better than any West Virginia QB that I've
>ever watched before or since & he got picked in the 12th round
>(to the Raiders of course) and they tried to convert him to
>wide receiver even though his arm was huge & he had led WVU to
>a title-shot bowl.
>
>But I digress....back to Matt.
>
>Matt Barkley is the first dude to ever start Day One at Mater
>Dei or Day One at USC.
>
>Dude is smarter in the student-of-the-game/playbook-studying
>sense than all of them & more talented than all but Carson.
>
>He was also dealt a worse hand than any of them with the
>upheaval that took place there in the fallout from the Carroll
>Era.
>
>I wasn't *that high* on him but the fact that he dropped to
>the fourth round to us, while we have a head coach who has
>been watching him closely while competing against him for four
>years, and that we got Ertz to go on the other side of Celek
>lets me know that Chip Kelly is in fact trying to implement
>something resembling what Belasterisk borrowed from him last
>year with the hurry-up/two-TE thing except with far more
>dangerous guys on the outside & an elite running back.
>
>Add in bringing back four starters on the o-line who missed
>last season & a new left tackle (telling that he spent his
>first pick on a guy protecting the blind side of a
>right-hander rather than a lefty like Vick) and I actually
>expect our offense to work with Vick or Barkley this upcoming
>season.
>
>Both will get a chance to play too because per usual Vick will
>miss time for injury.
>
>Obviously there's a lot of other things that need to happen
>but the difference between how I feel about the Eagles right
>today versus January 1st, 2013 is staggering.

Makes sense...I felt like Barkley was a project that still didn't develop or live up to his potential while at USC, which is why he was such a low pick. But his tenure at USC was a whole lot diff from Palmer and Leinart's, so it might not be a fair comparison. I just felt the "Tom Brady" part was hyperbole.

A lot of them weren't even really highly recruited.

>A lot of them weren't even really highly recruited.

Dumb ass stayed too long.

1) due to probation hadn't played in a real bowl yet
2) being a 'Trojan Legend' actually means something to him, from the day Carroll was fired he kinda took an active role in holding down the fort, right down to grabbing Mike Garrett's recruiting list from heritage hall on his way out then contacting each kid himself back when he could have transferred without penalty. From there it was kinda 'in for a penny, in for a pound' & wanted to finally reap the rewards with the dudes he'd bleed/sweat/cried with since he got there who had just completed a-shoulda-been undefeated but ultimately meaningless season last year.
3) he wasn't in a situation where he truly needed the money right then & had just seen Luck do it then succeed while going 1st overall.

Still, he probably should have at least made sure he could talk Kalil into doing it with him if he was going to do it. I actually thought he had when He/McDonald stayed but Kalil was probably like 'y'all fuckin crazy *deuces*'.

In the end he lost ten million dollars at a minimum, however it's all about how he carries it from here. If his play can get that back some day, then it was all part of the process.

How hard are you rooting for Vick to lose his job? lol

But much like Chip Kelly, in 2014 & beyond I'm ready to move on.

I'd like to see if Bark Dawg can pull it off, if not oh well.......he's a fourth-round pick.

It's really as close to a 'can't lose' situation as you're gonna get.

>2) being a 'Trojan Legend' actually means something to him,
>from the day Carroll was fired he kinda took an active role in
>holding down the fort, right down to grabbing Mike Garrett's
>recruiting list from heritage hall on his way out then
>contacting each kid himself back when he could have
>transferred without penalty. From there it was kinda 'in for
>a penny, in for a pound' & wanted to finally reap the rewards
>with the dudes he'd bleed/sweat/cried with since he got there
>who had just completed a-shoulda-been undefeated but
>ultimately meaningless season last year.

and on what planet would 2011 be considered a "should've been" undefeated season?

im assuming that's the year u were referring to.

and I'm not even saying any of the other stuff is what *I* woulda done.

I'd have been gone as soon as they were saying I was a lock first-rounder.

But obviously Barkley felt otherwise.

I respect his decision even if it isn't one I would have made.

Leinart's decision to stay I didn't respect because as it turned out he just didn't want to do the rehab required to go into the draft that winter.

but it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't much more complex than kiffin being a helluva salesman

that he had a lot of friends/teammates (including his roommate TJ) who were gonna be around, he's not really a chase-the-money-and-the-pussy guy by nature, his parents have enough money that he's not sweating delaying him getting his by a year, bit of a bible-thumper/film-study-football-nerd and he's also likely arrogant enough to think that regardless he was gonna be a first-rounder while trying for the Heisman/NC/First-Pick.

you already lost me. Honestly, the whole coaching staff is one big warning flag - Shurmur, Lazor...where have these guys had any success? Early signs point to a train wreck.

Can't wait to revisit this one

but nah, he'll be better than that dude too.

he'll be better than the 2 shittiest quarterbacks in the league, you watch!

these sc cats cant keep busting THIS hard

the idea of it getting turned around in the nfc east and on bomb's pro team is admittedly a bit disturbing

and i said as much in the draft thread
whether or not that shit actually works on the other hand......
the fact ppl were so hung up on the option aspect of kellys philosophy was shortsighted
especially since NFL coaches that consulted him were using the hurry up pass side of his scheme
and that's something he can implement with vick, foles or barkley

some of the examples chosen to prove the point are silly.

Mariota didn't run "much" sure, but part of that is the fact that he's a legit homerun threat every time he does take off. A better piece of evidence would be Oregon's demolition of USF in Kelly's first season as OC when the Ducks were forced to rely on the services of awkward and lanky Justin Roper at QB. That guy had no explosion and took forever to get moving, but all he needed to do was get 5-6 yards once or twice to keep the defense honest, and Chip dialed up playcalls that ensured there would be open space for Roper to run into in the event that he did pull the ball.

that said, this argument is bad.

first "Marcus Mariota logged 106 carries in 13 games last season, an average of 8.2 attempts per contest -- so inserting a non-runner shouldn't dramatically affect the potency of the attack."

umm, that's a QB WHO RUNS A LOT. not option QB/taylor martinez levels, but >8 rushes a game is a lot of running. it's a legit part of game planning.

and then the talk about not locking into a single target? umm...when Lee has >110 catches, Woods has >75 two years in a row and then the third option has <30? that's locking in.
-----------
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

there's a veteran ahead of him.

Great comparison.