By acquiring safety Kevin Byard from the Titans, the Eagles have already executed the biggest trade acquisition of the year thus far. But it’s possible that Philadelphia will be losing one of its best defenders when another takes over.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the reigning NFC champs are “open” to moving defensive end Derek Barnett before the deadline. The 27-year-old has already been linked to trade rumors, and the Eagles are a wealthy team on the verge of success. Consequently, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see him relocated soon.
This past summer, Barnett was given permission to look into a move while understanding that his workload would probably be lighter than in previous seasons. In light of the fact that 2023 represents the last year of his contract, which he decided to restructure, therefore lowering his maximum earnings, it would have been reasonable for a trade to open the door to increased playing time. Although one did not materialize before the season, Barnett might be a cheap addition for clubs looking to add depth to their pass rush.
Due to an ACL tear, the former first-round pick was only able to play in one game in 2022. Despite playing in all seven of this season’s games and remaining healthy, he has only played in 21% of defensive snaps. Three tackles and zero sacks or quarterback pressures are Barnett’s low statistical output, which is partly due to that career-low number (for complete campaigns). Moving on from Barnett wouldn’t leave Philadelphia lacking defensive line depth, as the team presently ranks third in the league with 24 sacks after leading the league in sacks the previous season.
The Tennessee product’s base salary for this season is merely $1.13MM due to contract modifications; an acquiring team would be responsible for a prorated share of that amount. The Eagles would lose a little net cap room this season if they traded Barnett; but, that would not happen in 2024, the year that Barnett’s contract expires. A shift in environment can encourage more use and output, increasing his stock before free agency.
Before he suffered an ACL injury, Barnett was a reliable member of the Eagles’ edge unit. In three of his first four seasons, he earned at least five sacks; however, he has not been able to maintain that output since. For Barnett’s present playing time scenario to improve, a lot would need to shift on Philadelphia’s depth chart, which includes players like Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, and first-round rookie Nolan Smith.
Thus, in advance of the trade deadline of October 31, the latter will be a name to keep an eye on. Breer points out that the Eagles might make further moves in an attempt to replicate their playoff success from the previous campaign, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they made any more additions. Philadelphia presently has $3.2MM in cap space accessible.