News: The biggest surprise of the first round of the NFL Draft had to be the Bills selecting former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel instead of the other first-round possibilities of Ryan Nassib and Geno Smith. Matt Barkley, however, was projected as more of a late first-round or second-round guy, though he was also rated by NFLDraftScout.com as the second-best quarterback in the NFL Draft. Except he went much later than that, as the Eagles drafted him with the first pick of the fourth round (98th overall) on Saturday. Barkley could have come out of school after his junior season. As it turns out, he might have been better off doing that -- even though he would have been going against Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill. Perhaps, if Barkley had a great 2012 season and led USC to a national title, this year's draft would have been a different story for him. But he didn't play that well, and the Trojans went 7-5. Now, Barkley is a fourth-round draft pick -- which, based off last year, is a big disappointment. That disappointment includes a massive financial hit in light of where pundits thought he'd get selected. Here's the good news, though. The Eagles wanted him badly enough to trade this year's seventh-round pick to the Jaguars in order to move up three spots and grab him.
Analysis: Barkley has the chance to be the quarterback of the future for the Eagles, but he will likely be No. 2 at best this season behind Michael Vick. He has minimal Fantasy value in seasonal leagues, but he is worth a late-round pick in rookie-only formats. If Barkley could end up starting for Chip Kelly then he could turn into a decent Fantasy option down the road.
News: Numerous reports suggest teams targeting USC quarterback Matt Barkley will trade into late Round 1 to get him. Barkley is seemingly healed from a shoulder injury suffered last season and is preparing for a chance to start with his new team.
Analysis: Barkley isn't quite as tall as scouts would like (he's 6-foot-2) and he doesn't have a very strong arm. But he is quite accurate (over 62 percent of passes completed each of his last three years) and has mostly done a good job of taking care of the football (a career 116 touchdowns to 48 interceptions). We suspect he'll compete for a starting job with whichever team lands him. Barkley probably won't be worth drafting in seasonal leagues but does have appeal as a mid- to late-round pick in dynasty/keeper leagues and as a second or third round choice in rookie-only formats.
News: NFL.com reports that quarterback Matt Barkley proved at USC's pro day he's fully healed from the shoulder injury that cut short his senior season with the Trojans. "I think primarily that I still have an arm, and it works," Barkley said what he proved with his performance. "I think that was the big question. Just the fact I haven't been able to throw for so long, since the bowl game, nothing at the Senior Bowl, nothing at the combine. I just wanted to come out today and do what I normally do, just kind of put myself in a normal practice mindset like I've done this a million times before." Reactions were mixed on Barkley's workout. Choosing to throw against the wind, Barkley had some balls flutter. His deep accuracy was good, however, and he finished 55-of-60 passing for the day. "Yeah, we decided to go that way, headed into the wind," Barkley said. "We knew the coaches were probably going to ask us to go that way afterwards if we chose to go with the wind. I don't think it posed too much of a problem, maybe a couple of balls here and there, but I thought it was a good day overall."
Analysis: NFL teams will still have plenty of questions about Barkley's arm, but it's a good sign that he did well at least a month before the draft. Keep an eye on where Barkley lands, and he could emerge as a No. 2 Fantasy quarterback if he gets a starting job. Most likely, Barkley will be a backup somewhere, and he won't be worth drafting in most seasonal Fantasy leagues. Consider him with a mid- to late-round pick in dynasty/keeper league drafts this summer.
News: A number of sources are reporting USC quarterback Matt Barkley has a Grade-3 shoulder separation, keeping him from participating in Combine drills. Barkley sent a letter to every NFL team explaining his injury and his decision to not work out at the Combine. He intends to throw at his Pro Day on March 27.
Analysis: Once considered a hot prospect, a weak senior year has left Barkley without the pedigree he might have had if he came out of college as a junior. He's not necessarily pegged to be a starter in his rookie season. Consider him with a mid- to late-round pick in dynasty/keeper league drafts this summer.
