LA Rams signing a backup pocket QB would give peace of mind
By Bret Stuter
QB Barkley
The California-born Matthew Barkley would be happy to return to the summer sun of Los Angeles after an NFL career at Philadelphia, Chicago, and Buffalo. He is coming off a $1.8 million contract to back up Josh Allen at Buffalo, where he was involved primarily as a mop-up quarterback to close out the game.
He was selected with the 98th pick of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, at a time when the Eagles were torn between starters Michael Vick and Nick Foles. At the time, he lobbied hard to compete for a starting role for the team, but he never seemed to have the right chemistry. He is a 6-foot-2 234-pound quarterback who has managed to remain on an NFL team’s roster simply because he does prepare to play.
His overall NFL career record is 2-5, and he has completed 212 of 363 passes for 2,699 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. He will not threaten defenses with his legs, and he does not get sacked very often. Instead, he tries to throw the ball away. Early in his NFL career, that oftentimes meant inadvertently throwing into the arms of a waiting defender.
He has since settled down somewhat, as his two seasons in Buffalo have been modestly better. Now, Barkley won’t be a 10-game winner either. He is simply a veteran hand who could be signable for a league minimum contract and who could prove to be of value to the Rams down the stretch.