Eagles show interest in Wyoming QB Brett Smith at Pro Day

The Eagles may have Nick Foles as the starting quarterback in 2014, but the depth behind him is in question. Second year passer Matt Barkley seems poised to get the No. 2 job but could use competition that is a bit less underwhelming than G.J. Kinne. The Eagles may surprise fans and bring in a veteran but are more likely to go the rookie route for Barkley's competition. That is why at Wyoming's Pro Day, Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave made it a point to talk to Brett Smith.

The Eagles had the biggest group of personnel at the Pro Day in in Laramie on Thursday, according to NFL Draft writer Benjamin Allbright. The team was likely focused on Smith, who has talent that would mesh well with Chip Kelly's style of offense. However, they could also have been interested in versatile wide receiver Robert Herron, who also participated at the event.

The Eagles potential interest in Smith would makes sense. He has very good mobility for a quarterback and has a very good short game. Smith is terrific with placing slant passes and screens where they need to go, which we learned last season is a major part of the Eagles offense. He moves around very well in the pockets and keeps his eyes downfield.

The issue with Smith is really his mechanics. He is not all that accurate and he has a very odd delivery. He also tends to hold on to the ball at length and his footwork is shaky. He is not very good with handling the blitz and tends overthrow/underthrow a lot on mid-range passes. The Eagles would likely take him at some point in Day 3 and probably see him a project to develop behind Foles.

Smith in an interesting prospect and could be a smart move by the organization if they decide to give Barkley some serious competition. As a prospect, Smith has some pretty good upside, it is just a matter of developing him. If the Eagles are willing to be patient, he could be strong backup or trade bait down the road.

UPDATE: Here are Smith's numbers from his Pro Day (he was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine):

Brett Smith's official numbers: 6016 207, 10 inch hands. 4.51 official 40 time.

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 13, 2014