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The Philadelphia Eagles’ decision to bring Derek Barnett back on a two-year deal was a head-scratcher. The 25-year-old pass rusher is young enough to turn a disappointing career around, but a change of scenery seemed like the best-case scenario for both sides.
And the San Francisco 49ers had emerged as a perfect fit. Nope. Barnett will return for his sixth season – how is it really been that long since the Super Bowl year? – on what appears to be a very affordable contract. Terms weren’t immediately disclosed, with no reports surfacing about the financials.
The lack of information presumes the numbers are low. Barnett’s camp probably doesn’t want them leaked out in the press. Either way, the 14th overall pick from the 2017 draft should claim the fourth edge rusher spot on the depth chart behind Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat, and Haason Reddick.
Aside from his struggles with penalties, Barnett hasn’t been all bad. The 6-foot-3, 258-pounder has 21.5 career sacks along with 76 quarterback hits and 147 tackles (36 for loss). He posted a 60.9 pass-rushing grade in 2021 (via Pro Football Focus) to rank 69th among all qualifying edge defenders. That grade was the worst on the Eagles, below Ryan Kerrigan (61.4), but he does average roughly one sack per every three games.
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Eagles Twitter Roasts Barnett Signing
The argument for keeping Barnett is a simple one: he is young and cost them valuable draft capital. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman generally doesn’t like to admit failure on first-round picks. He could still turn the corner and become an elite defender assuming he cleans up the penalty issue. That’s all well and good but Eagles fans weren’t having it on Twitter. They were prepared to happily move on from the Super Bowl hero from Tennessee.
The biggest conclusion being drawn about Barnett’s return has to do with what the team may be missing out on. They are less likely to draft an edge rusher in this year’s draft, one that is loaded with top-level talent at edge rusher. That non-move could turn out to be a crucial mistake.
Not everyone hated it, of course. CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr pointed out the Eagles’ depth while JAKIB Media’s John McMullen said he had “no problem” with it. Meanwhile, teammate Darius Slay was totally on board.
Eagles Could Target David Ojabo in 2nd Round
One of the best pure pass rushers in the 2022 draft likely slipped to the second round after David Ojabo suffered a devastating Achilles tear at his Michigan Pro Day. He was performing a pass-coverage drill when the injury occurred in front of NFL scouts and executives. He promised to come back “stronger than ever.”
Ojabo had been rumored to be on the Eagles’ radar in the first round. They could still grab him in the second round, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder recorded 11 sacks in his breakout 2021 campaign at Michigan.
“David Ojabo would have been a great pick but with the injury now he’s more of a second-round possibility,” Kiper said on a recent conference call. “Maybe if they get into the early second round, that would be a spot of Ojabo.”
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