Matt Barkley feeling ‘least amount of pressure’ as Eagles rookie

Philadelphia Eagles rookie Matt Barkley, who started all four years in both high school and college, said he’s enjoying the luxury of staying in the background and learning as he transitions to the NFL.

“I think right now is the least amount of pressure, to tell you the truth, the least amount of attention,” the fourth-round pick from USC told the Philadelphia Inquirer in a story published Tuesday. “I don’t mind it either way; you just get used to it. But now, with how the whole draft turned it, it allows me to not worry about anything but just put my head down and work, be focused.”

Barkley, who recently signed a four-year deal with the Eagles, has been participating in the team’s rookie program and will be in Philadelphia for another week before heading back to Southern California for his July 6 wedding to longtime girlfriend Brittany Langdon.

At this point, it appears that Michael Vick and Nick Foles have a better chance than Barkley of claiming the starting job -- and former Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon is on the roster too -- but no one is quite sure what new Coach Chip Kelly has in mind.

“This is all new to all of us …,” Barkley said. “We’re all pushing each other.”

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