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Once the Eagles officially sign Tim Tebow, Philadelphia will have a total of five quarterbacks on their roster: Tebow, Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, and G.J. Kinne.
The Eagles carried five quarterbacks during the 2013 offseason (Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Matt Barkley Dennis Dixon, G.J. Kinne) so this isn't totally unprecedented. The team likes to have an extra passer to keep around because it allows for more quarterback throw reps in practice.
But having five quarterbacks will also create somewhat of a log-jam. So, according to Mike Garafalo, the Eagles will use G.J. Kinne in a more expanded role when it comes to practice time.
Interesting note to help clarify Eagles logjam at QB: G.J. Kinne expected to get work at WR, KR, special teams. Athletic jack of all trades.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 20, 2015
That doesn't mean Kinne's days as a QB are over. Just the old adage, "The more you can do." Could be a Brad Smith-type player.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 20, 2015
This isn't surprising at all because Kinne has already kind of done this during practices. I told that to Garfalo and he responded with the following:
@BrandonGowton @SpursTalk1 He's done some work on scout team and such, yes. Now expected to do more with an eye on Eagles' own stuff.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 20, 2015
Kinne makes a lot of sense as a training player, which is a big reason why the team has kept him on the practice squad the past two seasons. This is something I wrote about all the way back in 2013:
"Now that we know who he is, let's talk about his role. I'm not sure GJ Kinne will ever throw a pass in a meaningful moment in his NFL career, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have value to the Eagles. If you've been following my training camp practice notes, you've seen me say a number of times that Kinne lines up everywhere in practice.
First and foremost, quarterback, obviously. Elsewhere: fielding punts. Fielding kickoffs. Punt coverage team . Punt block team. Safety, nickel CB (during teach phase, not live action). The list goes on. Clearly, he's a guy who's willing to do anything to earn a spot.
This is why Kinne makes perfect sense as a practice squad QB. Look, Chip is probably going to keep a QB on the practice squad anyway. Chip wants to maximize reps in practice, so it's only natural he'll keep the extra QB on the PS to get receivers extra reps. The PS QB also provides depth in case he needs to be called up onto the 53 man roster in the event of an injury."
This news also seems to ensure Tebow will be playing quarterback for the Eagles and not other positions. Instead, it will be Kinne who moves around.