Tennessee Titans should take advantage of the Philadelphia Eagles fire sale
By Will Lomas
Derek Barnett would be a nice backup for the Tennessee Titans
Derek Barnett has been in the NFL for five years and no one is quite sure whether he is good or not.
Tennessee Volunteers fans will remember Barnett as their last great NFL Draft prospect who has the all-time career record for sacks in the SEC with 33 in three years. However, the transition to the NFL hasn’t been as easy as the transition to college.
Barnett started his NFL career as a rotational player who saw more and more time until his second year when he got a chance to start. Unfortunately, Barnett ended up missing more than half of the season with an injury and didn’t really get to experience a full season of starting until his third year in 2019.
In 27 games with the Eagles from 2019-2020 he had 38 QB hits, 12 sacks, and 16 TFLs.
With the Eagles committed to Josh Sweat, it isn’t clear whether that closes the door for a potential Barnett return in 2022 (he is scheduled to be a free agent after this season).
For the Tennessee Titans, Barnett has the body type and skill set that compares well to Rashad Weaver. With Weaver set to miss the 2021 season with an injury, Barnett could come in and give the defense a proven commodity that replaces a chess piece like Weaver.