Philadelphia Eagles Quarterbacks: Nick Foles vs. Matt Barkley

The Philadelphia Eagles stunned the NFL when they selected Matt Barkley with their fourth-round pick. What is shocking about the decision was not just that Barkley had fallen so far, but that the Eagles saw the need to add another young quarterback to their roster when they already have Nick Foles.

It's hard to tell if Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman are looking to use Barkley as trade bait and commit to Foles long-term, or if this move signals a vote of no confidence in Foles and a move in a different direction.

What is also possible is that Kelly is looking to do both. He wants to evaluate two young, talented players, with one eventually becoming his franchise player and one becoming valuable trade bait.

Most likely, neither of the two will start in 2013, as Kelly made a strong effort to retain Michael Vick for one more season. But this year's training camp will be an open competition, and ultimately the best performer in camp will be given the chance to start.

Although, even if Vick is still named the starter at the end of training camp, the battle for the backup quarterback spot will be a tight one and closely watched. It is a very important position, as Vick will almost certainly miss time due to injury.

But which of the two pocket passers would be better qualified to serve as a backup? Here are the pros and cons of both players:

It's a close call between the two. Both have very high ceilings and fairly low floors. They have very different playing styles.

While Barkley can hit the Eagles receivers in stride, allowing them the most opportunity to make plays after the catch, Foles' arm strength will allow players like DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin to continue running deep routes.

With his experience in the NFL and with the Eagles receiving corps, he would be more ready to step up than Barkley, who still needs to familiarize himself with the Eagles offense.

Additionally, Foles' mistakes were not uncommon ones for a rookie quarterback. He was also playing behind an offensive line that lost four of its five starters. He can be expected to improve with another year of development.

Therefore, Foles would get the edge over Barkley, whether that's a backup role or as a starter. However, this could all change once Barkley gets more experience with the Eagles offense in training camp. After a year of grooming, Barkley could be poised to challenge Foles and Vick for the starting job in 2014.