The Philadelphia Eagles addressed their pass-rushing problems by adding Haason Reddick in free agency. That move seemed to be the writing on the wall for Derek Barnett who remains unsigned as a free agent. His penchant for bone-headed penalties may have sealed his fate.
The Eagles could still bring Barnett back on a cheap deal, something nowhere near the $10 million figure he was set to earn in 2021 prior to restructuring — but it seems like the two sides are ready for a divorce. The 14th overall pick from the 2017 draft needs a change of scenery. And there is a suitor in the NFC West that makes sense.
San Francisco 49ers reporter Chase Senior made the case for pairing Barnett opposite Nick Bosa out there. Sure, the 25-year-old defensive end has greatly underperformed expectations but he remains in the prime of his career. He might be allowed to feast in San Francisco with Bosa’s 25.5 sacks on the other side.
“High effort player, high motor, really physical player and has not really put together a lot of really good seasons with large sack numbers but he has gotten after the quarterback,” Senior said of Barnett. “And I think playing opposite of Nick Bosa could allow him to really show off those flashes of what made him a first-round pick with the Philadelphia Eagles. And I don’t think he’s going to be all that expensive.”
It’s an interesting thought and the 49ers might not be the only team tinkering with the idea. Twitter was rife with hot takes, including ones sending him to Green Bay or Baltimore. There seems to be a niche market for Barnett who has 21.5 career sacks along with the most clutch fumble recovery in Super Bowl history.
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Barnett’s Lack of Discipline Worrisome
Barnett’s talent was never really an issue. He has shown a knack for getting to the quarterback and being physical off the edge despite what his sack numbers show. The problem with the guy who broke the majority of Reggie White’s records at Tennessee has always been a lack of discipline.
Barnett has more penalties (25) than sacks (21.5) in his first five NFL seasons (64 games), including 10 personal fouls. That equals one flag in every 2.5 games. Yikes.
“It’s something I need to correct and I continue to work on,” Barnett told reporters last October, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Can’t put my team in a tough position, even if it’s 5 yards, 10, whatever it is. If I’m hurting the team in that way, we’re not focused on the main goal, which is winning. So I need to correct that issue.”
First-Round Picks Not Immune to Competition
Nothing is given to anyone once the pads come on at training camp. It doesn’t matter if a guy was selected in the first round or found his way onto the practice squad as an undrafted rookie free agent. The Eagles preach competition, from the front office down to the coaching staff — it’s one of Nick Sirianni’s five core values. And Howie Roseman believes in that theory, too.
“Our goal is to put together the best roster we possibly can. Where they come from isn’t as important as putting together the best possible team,” the general manager said prior to 2021 training camp. “We never want to lose credibility by putting guys out there that aren’t ready to play just because of their draft status or free agent status.”
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