Matt Barkley to Cardinals: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

After spending two seasons as a backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Matt Barkley was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on Friday.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported the two sides were close, and the Eagles later confirmed the deal. 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cardinals will send a conditional draft pick to Philadelphia for Barkley:

Barkley, 24, appeared in just four games for the Eagles in his two seasons, throwing for 300 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions, also losing a fumble, while completing 60 percent of his passes.

Barkley, who likely would have been a first-round pick had he entered the 2012 NFL draft, became a fourth-round (98th overall) pick of the Birds in 2013 after a mediocre senior season with USC.

As Andrew Perloff of The Dan Patrick Show noted, Barkley should have entered the draft after his junior year:

He could never crack the Eagles starting lineup, except when injuries forced him to play at the end of the 2013 season. And once Philadelphia signed Tim Tebow in April, Barkley's time in the City of Brotherly Love essentially came to a close.

While Barkley hasn't shown much in his brief NFL career, he's still young, and many remember the high regard he was held in following his junior season with the Trojans. Arizona clearly feels it can further develop him and perhaps see Barkley emerge as a solid quarterback down the line.

It's a smart move for the Cardinals, who need quarterback depth after what happened last season. Carson Palmer tore his ACL in November, and backup Drew Stanton suffered a sprained MCL in December. 

The injuries forced the Cardinals to rely on Ryan Lindley in their playoff game against the Carolina Panthers. He completed 16 passes for just 82 yards in a 27-16 loss.

While Palmer showed he has something left in the tank with a completion percentage of 62.9 and 11 touchdowns in six games last year, he's 35 and has suffered two significant knee injuries in his career. 

Arizona is giving up only a conditional late-round draft pick to acquire Barkley, so there's no risk involved for the team.

For Barkley, he gets a fresh start with a head coach (Bruce Arians) who has had success with unheralded quarterbacks. Stanton was effective in eight starts last season with seven touchdown passes.

Barkley would be wise to capitalize on this second chance.