Kenjon Barner Trade: Eagles conditional 7th round pick explained

When the Philadelphia Eagles traded for Carolina Panthers running back Kenjon Barner late on Tuesday night, it was reported that the Eagles sent back a conditional 7th round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft to Carolina. According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the official conditions of the Barner trade are now known.

RB/KR Kenjon Barner needs to be on Eagles’ 46-man active roster for at least four games for a 7th-rd pick to be sent to Carolina.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 20, 2014

So not only does Barner need to make the Eagles 53-man roster, which seems far from a guarantee, but he needs to be active for at least four games. Then, and only then, will the Carolina Panthers receive the Eagles' 2015 7th round pick.

It remains to be seen how high the Eagles are on Barner but right now I'd say there's a good chance this pick doesn't end up getting conveyed to Carolina. As I already said, there's no guarantee Barner makes the team. Even if he does, it would likely be as a 4th string running back and that could mean he's often inactive on gameday. The Eagles could even test him out for three games and then shut him down before the fourth appearance if it's not working out. Or perhaps the Eagles could even stash Barner on the practice squad.  Either way, it seems like they essentially picked him up for free.

The only way I see Carolina ending up with the Eagles pick is if somehow Barner proves to be good enough to play and make positive contributions on game day. If that's the case, he'll probably be worth the cost of the 7th round pick.