Philadelphia Eagles Cut Derek Barnett; Should Atlanta Falcons Sign?

Derek Barnett has been cut the Philadelphia Eagles. Could the Atlanta Falcons acquire him?

Jeremy Brener | Nov 24, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Derek Barnett has always been a good NFL player, but he's been stuck in a very deep defensive end group with one of the league's top teams ... until now.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Eagles have waived Barnett, and now he will have a chance to join another team.

Could the Atlanta Falcons make sense as a destination for Barnett?

The Eagles restructured the defensive end's deal on the first day of training camp, bringing his salary down from $7 million to $3.5 with the potential to make $2.25M in incentives, which means he is coming in on a discounted price.

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Sure, the Falcons can afford him, and Atlanta has looked to make some changes to the defensive line. Barnett would be a strong addition to the team that also added Calais Campbell and David Onyemata during the offseason. Given the fact that the team has lost Grady Jarrett to a torn ACL, having depth with Barnett could be a positive thing for the Falcons.

However, there is risk when it comes to Barnett.

He tore his ACL in the Week 1 opener last season and has been recovering ever since. He's healthy now, but questions remain as to how his knee will affect him moving forward. In his last full season in 2021, Barnett recorded 46 tackles and two sacks.

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However, if the Falcons want to end their playoff drought, taking a flier on a low-risk, high-reward player in Barnett could be worth it for Atlanta.

Published Nov 24, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.