NFL
Eagles’ Defensive End Derek Barnett Undergoes Surgery for Shoulder Injury, Ruled Out for Rest of Season
Early Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive end Derek Barnett would undergo surgery on his shoulder and would thereby miss the rest of the regular season. Barnett is the ninth Eagle to hit the injury reserve list this season.
Philadelphia was forced to place offense weapons Jay Ajayi, Mack Hollins, and Mike Wallace on IR. In addition, defensive players Rodney McLeod, Destiny Vaeao, Elie Bouka, and Paul Worrilow have also been sidelined. An already rough start for the Birds just got even worse.
Barnett’s Role
Derek Barnett was a first-round draft pick out of Tennessee. In just his second year as a pro, Barnett had recorded 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks this season. Barnett made an immediate impact for the Eagles last season. While he didn’t start any games his rookie year, Barnett played relief for Philadelphia’s dominant front seven. After a series of trades and injuries, Barnett started all 6 games he played in this season and became a driving force for the defense.
Barnett’s unique ability to cause disruption within the offensive line due to his quick footwork and strong upper body strength was a huge asset. It not only made him a threat, but eased the workloads of Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.
With Barnett now out for the season, it will now be up to Michael Bennett and Chris Long to not only take on Barnett’s snaps, but fill his role. Long and Bennett have had an impressive year themselves. Long has 11 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble this season. Bennett has tallied 15 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble.
State of the Defense
The overall state of Philadelphia’s defense is inconsistently average at best — and tumultuously undisciplined at worst. While the Eagles’ secondary last year struggled, Philadelphia was able to rely on their front seven to keep offenses at bay. This year, Philadelphia’s pass rush has seen a drastic dip in production while their run game has maintained some of its old muscle.
The Eagles’ currently have the 14th ranked defense in the league. They’ve only recorded 18 sacks this year and are allowing 355 yards per game. 269 of those yards have come through the air, the 9th worst in the league. This is especially a problem with the offense managing 362 yards a game, but averaging just 22 points.
With a continuously thinning core at the line of scrimmage, it is uncertain how well the Eagles defense will hold up for the rest of the season.
Potential Front Office Moves
Trade Offerings
With just a few days before the NFL’s October 30th trade deadline, general manager Howie Roseman needs to work quickly if he wants to make a move. Roseman has several draft-picks stashed for the 2019 draft. Four of the expected ten picks will come in the first three rounds.
Several Eagles are presumably now on the trade block. Nick Foles’ trade value has dropped, though so has his value to the organization. With several teams in need at the quarterback position, it would not be improbable to see Foles go. Brandon Graham, Jordan Hicks, and Ronald Darby all become free agents next year. While Graham has proven vital to the defense, Darby’s performance has been less than desirable to many.
If Roseman decides to practice future thinking rather than saving the season, Darby or Hicks may go, however, not in a trade that would just supplement for Barnett’s absence this season.
Trade Acquisitions
There are a few potentially available defensive players in the league that could help the Eagles in the near and distant future, if Roseman could make a trade work. While there aren’t many defensive linemen available at this point in the year, several linebackers and defensive backs could be.
Arizona Cardinals’ cornerback Patrick Peterson has stated he wants a trade and the Eagles would undoubtedly benefit from such an acquisition. The Denver Broncos may be looking to trade two of their linebackers in Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray. Barrett is young and has had an impressive start to the 2018 season. He could be an interesting option for Philadelphia. Ray has had a less impressive season than Barrett, however, and may not be what the Eagles are looking for.
The Oakland Raiders, meanwhile, have two first-round safeties they don’t seem overly enthused about. With Gruden’s quick temperament towards trades, anything could conceivably happen if Oakland gets involved. Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley might find themselves on a plane out of the Bay Area in the next week. Joseph’s struggles with injuries and inconsistent ability to cover receivers downfield may deter Philadelphia from making a deal.
Photo Credit: Special Olympics Pennsylvania via Flickr
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