Philadelphia Eagles: 5 potential midseason trade candidates
By David Esser
Derek Barnett’s future in Philadelphia is all but over.
Jim Schwartz really likes Derek Barnett, but he’s probably the only one who thinks so highly of him. Even then, Schwartz seemed more than happy to start an emerging Josh Sweat over Barnett during the teams Week 3 tie against the Bengals.
Once upon a time it looked like Barnett was going to develop into a solid edge rusher alongside Graham, but that progression simply never happened. He’s battled injuries ever since being drafted, and he really just hasn’t improved at all. It seems like he rolls up to training camp every single season with the same pass rush moves, the same speed, and the same level of strength.
Barnett started in 14 games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season and recorded just 6.5 sacks. That’s not exactly first-round draft pick level production, especially considering the fact he’s been lining up across from Graham and Cox. The previously mentioned Sweat has looked like the considerably better pass rusher over the last three weeks, and he’s on a much more affordable contract as well.
Considering the Eagles dire cap situation heading into 2021, swapping out Barnett’s expensive fifth year option for that of Sweat’s $1 million salary makes an abundance of sense.
On top of that, Barnett might actually command something like a third-round pick on the open market, which isn’t too shabby.