Eagles' Howie Roseman ‘Sleeps Better’ With DE Derek Barnett on Roster
The Philadelphia Eagles lost a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball this offseason.
If defensive end Derek Barnett has his way - reportedly - he may be the next one to leave the Eagles organization, but general manager Howie Roseman would sleep a lot better if that outcome didn’t come to fruition.
“(We have) tremendous respect for Derek and the player and person that he is and what he brings to this football team,” Roseman said. “Love having him here…We’re going to keep as many of those guys we possible can…having those guys lets us sleep a little bit better at night.”
It’s hard to believe but this season is Barnett’s seventh since he was drafted in 2017 out of Tennessee with the 14th overall pick. Since arriving in Philadelphia, he has played in 65 of a possible 98 games and was lost for the season in the team’s Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions last year.
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Typically, players take a full year after returning to really show signs of returning to form, and many wanted to see Barnett get better from his previous form before the injury took a year away from him.
So the bar is set high, but Eagles coach Nick Sirianni sounds confident they’ll get the best from him in this comeback season.
“I just think he has had a great camp and so excited that he is a part of this football team,” Sirianni said. “I love his toughness, his edge, and his ability that he brings to this team every day.”
The toughest part about Barnett right now is that he doesn’t seem to want to be involved in what Philadelphia has brewing right now. Those around the Eagles don’t seem to be all that concerned about whether or not he stays or leaves.
It’ll be on Barnett to prove the kind words his GM and coach shared about him right, and to prove his doubters wrong, or he may not be a part of Philadelphia’s future beyond the season - whether he likes it or not.
