Eagles’ Derek Barnett Restructures Two-Year Deal

The Philadelphia Eagles’ former first-round pick has taken a pay cut.

Derek Barnett will now get more guaranteed money and incentives but less total salary and bonuses in his current two-year deal with the team, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

The former Volunteer was extremely productive in college as the all-time sack leader with 33. In his three-year collegiate career, he broke Reggie White’s sack record (32) at Tennessee.

But so far, that production hasn’t translated in the NFL due to mostly injuries and a lack of above-average athletic traits. His career in Philly hasn’t lived up to the hype with only 21.5 career sacks in his six years in the league.

Now entering his seventh year, Barnett is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in the season opener in 2022 that caused him to miss the season.

Barnett was drafted 14th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft and had his most productive season in 2019 as a rotational pass rusher with six and a half sacks. Although he did start for a few seasons opposite veteran Brandon Graham at defensive end, defensive end Josh Sweat took over when Barnett was out as the starter.

The 27-year-old was part of the team that won the championship back in 2017-2018. That was his rookie season when he played a key role and had five sacks that year, making a clutch play against quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

His 2019 season resulted in his fifth-year option being exercised by Philadelphia, as his 2020 season was not as great, but it still led to his two-year extension after his 2021 season during free agency.

The Eagles likely brought him back to prove himself on a cheaper deal, as his career stats of 147 tackles, 76 quarterback hits and 36 tackles for loss aren’t bad as a pinch starter or depth rotational piece on the defensive line moving forward, assuming other starters stay healthy.

At the defensive end position, Janarius Robinson and Tarron Jackson are the only other backups, as Graham is coming back at age 35 on a one-year deal and Sweat has had his own injury concerns.

Going into training camp prior to the contract restructure, Barnett could’ve been outside looking in but now at least has a shot to make it. Or at least be a trade candidate later on, as a lower salary overall could entice teams needing a starting pass rusher.

Either way, Barnett will have to stand out when given the chance, as he was limited at the start of training camp, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. It is positive he did not land on the Physically Unable to Perform (P.U.P.) list prior to camp starting this week.

According to Over The Cap, Barnett was previously due a $7.5M salary ($1.5M guaranteed) with up to $1M in per-game bonuses (max value $8.5M) for the final year of his contract. He will now make a $3.5M guaranteed salary, with $250K in per-game bonuses and up to $2.25M in incentives (max value $6M).

For Philly, this move does clear a little over $1.5 million, as the Eagles currently have $13,867,023 in cap space, according to Over The Cap. 2023 will have to be a definite make-or-break year for Barnett.

He would also be behind star outside linebacker Haason Reddick and speed demon first-round rookie Nolan Smith in the pecking order at edge rusher. Despite not playing the exact position, it still is a loaded pass-rushing group and the 27-year-old would be behind four other starting caliber edges mentioned previously, which is the norm in Philadelphia ever since their first Super Bowl.

But what Barnett offers is flexibility to support against the run as well, like Graham. The veteran spoke on Barnett and what it means to still be on an NFL roster to make the most of it.

“I just want to be there for them guys because mentally a lot of people don’t realize how great of a spot they’re really in,” Graham said. “And sometimes the media or what people say sometimes get to people and I always try to help them with that. Y’all got a job to do just as much as we got a job to do. We got to make sure we block the noise just as much as you gotta keep the noise up. I think helping him with that, knowing that he’s still got a chance by what he does out there and what he put out, out there.

“I didn’t know I was going to be here this long. Sometimes, I thought I was gonna be gone,” he added. “But what they couldn’t take away from me when I got the opportunity, was my attitude and what I put out on that film. Like I told him, you control that part and we’ll see where the cards lay when they come up. I’m happy for him.”

Barnett will hope to have a similar career arc with the Eagles as Graham. The veteran became the starter in his fifth season, wasn’t a Pro Bowler till his 11th season, and didn’t have a double-digit sack season till his 13th season.

“Everything could come in the back end,” Graham said. “I feel like in the beginning it didn’t start off so well for me. But everything now has been in the back end. But it’s that perseverance you’ve gotta have through that hard time. Yeah, the media is saying you might not be here, you might be here, you don’t know. Right now, you’re here so take care of the right now. That was my mindset.”