Tim Tebow may have found his niche. But he may not be able to expect much more.

The Eagles paved the way for keeping the effervescent Tebow on the roster by trading away quarterback Matt Barkley to the Cardinals on Friday, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer was the first to report.

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The move means that unless Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly decides to keep just two quarterbacks on their roster, Tebow's two-year hiatus from the NFL is over. He last played with the Jets in 2012.

Tebow threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns during the Eagles' final preseason game on Thursday night against the Jets. His form looked much better than when he was a member of Gang Green.

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That's the good news.

The bad news is that Tebow may have to be content with being a third-stringer who can add a dimension on a trick play or a two-point conversion. Expecting anything more may require much more improvement on the former Florida Gator's part.

"Tim Tebow brings so much to the table and so much to the team that if you were very good in all the different areas -- offensive line, running the football, defense -- I think you could be successful with Tim Tebow as your quarterback," former NFL coach and current Fox Sports analyst Jimmy Johnson said. "But you would have to structure your entire offense around him -- and then what happens when he gets hurt, then what are you going to do with your backup QB and your whole team?"

The Eagles will get a conditional seventh-round draft pick if Barkley remains with the Cardinals for at least six games, USA Today Sports reported.

Barkley was just 4 of 9 for 45 yards against the Jets on Thursday. Afterward, Barkley remained confident he proved he belonged with the Eagles.

"That wasn't ideal," Barkley told reporters afterThursday's exhibition. "I don't know if tonight was the deciding factor. We'll see if that's what it comes down to. I think over the course of this camp, I've shown I can play quarterback for this team."

Kelly, however, doesn't need another quarterback; he has two of those. He needs a niche player.

Apparently, he needs Tebow.

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