In Roob's 10 Observations: Making sense of the Derek Barnett signing

 

 

 

Reuben Frank

EAGLES INSIDER

Why I can't get too outraged about the Derek Barnett signing, a crazy Steve Van Buren stat, two players who shouldn't be in the Eagles Hall of Fame and a WR Zach Pascal reminds me of.

It's all here in this weekend's edition of Roob's 10 Random Eagles Offseason Observations!  

1. It’s been a few days now since the Eagles signed Derek Barnett, and nobody has reported the contract numbers. This is potentially very good news. The reason the numbers aren't out there is because the agent doesn’t want them out there. That’s where "leaked” contract numbers almost always come from. When a player signs a contract that makes the agent look good, the numbers are everywhere the instant the contract is signed. When the numbers don’t show up, that means the agent intentionally withheld them. It’s stupid, but that’s the way the game is played. We’ll get the numbers in the next few days, and I’d be surprised if Barnett got more than $5 million per year over two years. Considering that would make him the 61st-highest-paid edge rusher in the league in 2022 based on average annual salary, that’s fair. From 2018 through 2020, Barnett ranked 46th among defensive ends in sacks, 38th in tackles for loss and 21st in quarterback hits. If the Eagles had signed a guy with Barnett’s exact same resume from another team, nobody would have gotten worked up about it. But because it’s Barnett, it looks bad. Because we’ve seen all his mis-steps and lived with his disappointments since 2017. He’s a failed 1st-round pick. But he’s no longer being paid like a 1st-round pick, and he won’t be expected to perform like a 1st-round pick. He’s now a 3rd or 4th pass rusher with a presumably modest salary, and if you can get a guy who averaged 6 sacks, 18 QB hits and 8.0 tackles for loss in his three full seasons before 2021 at this kind of price, it’s not a bad deal. Now, if the numbers come out and it’s something like $7 million a year? Then we have a big problem. Then I'll be outraged.

2. The Eagles haven’t drafted a Pro Bowl defensive back in 20 years, since Lito Sheppard and Michael Lewis in 2002. During that span, they’ve drafted 33 defensive backs – four in the 2nd round, three in the 3rd round, 10 in the 4th round, six in the 5th round, six in the 6th round and four in the 7th round. League-wide, there have been 141 Pro Bowl d-backs drafted during that 20-year stretch. In the previous 20 years – 1983 through 2002 – the Eagles drafted six Pro Bowl defensive backs (Wes Hopkins, Eric Allen, Bobby Taylor, Brian Dawkins, Lewis and Sheppard). 

3. Correll Buckhalter had more seasons with at least 50 carries and a 4.8 average than Steve Van Buren.

4. If the Eagles draft Chris Olave Jameson Williams or Garrett Wilson, I’m fine with that. They’re all terrific talents. But if they elect to focus on defense in the 1st round and then select someone like North Dakota State’s Christian Watson in the 2ndround, I’m all for it. Great size at 6-4, 210, ran a 4.36 at the Combine, polished route runner, terrific hands and answered all the questions about level of competition with a monster performance at the Senior Bowl. Watson might be gone when the Eagles pick at 51, and the way things are going he could even go late in the 1st round. But he seems like the sort of guy Howie Roseman would move down in the 1st round draft or up in the 2nd round to snag, and Nick Sirianni must love this kid. A WR room with DeVonta Smith, Christian Watson, Quez Watkins and Pascal, and you’re on the right track.

5. Boston Scott last year had eight rushing TDs on 88 carries. Only nine running backs in NFL history have had more rushing TDs on 88 or fewer carries. 

6. I’m so tired of hearing so-called Eagles fans ****ling about how "They only beat one winning team.” What nonsense. And it’s all coming from people who picked the Eagles to go 4-13 or 5-12 who are trying to justify how much they misjudged Nick Sirianni and the 2021 team. The Eagles were legitimately a playoff team last year, no matter who they played, no matter who they beat, no matter what lousy quarterbacks they faced. I guarantee you no Rams fans were complaining in 1999 when the Greatest Show on Turf won the Super Bowl without beating a single team with a winning record during the regular season. I didn’t hear any Tampa Bay fans ripping the Bucs in 2020 because they went 1-4 against winning teams in the regular season. Heck, the Giants won Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011 and beat one winning team each year before the playoffs. Complaining about losses I can understand. Complaining about wins I just don't get.

7. As much as we project what the Eagle will do with the 15th, 16th and 19th picks, I put the odds of Howie Roseman actually picking players in all three spots at about 7 percent. In his 11 drafts as Eagles GM – 2010 through 2014 and 2016 through 2021 – Roseman has made 36 trades on draft weekend or the days leading up to it. He made moves involving the Eagles’ original 1st-round pick in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 – seven out of his 11 drafts. If a player the Eagles covet but they don’t believe will last until 15 – say Kyle Hamilton, Ahmad "Sauce” Gardner or maybe Jordan Davis - starts slipping, Howie has the assets and flexibility to move up and snag him. And if he likes the depth at a certain position – say defensive tackle or receiver – and he believes he can get similar value later in the 1st round while adding picks, he won’t hesitate to get out of one of those picks and still land a player he likes. Howie loves the action and has a hard time sitting still on draft weekend. Doesn’t always take the right player, but he sure knows how to wheel and deal and maximize the picks’ value.

8. The NFL started tracking receiving targets in 1993. What Eagle has the highest yards-per-target on record with a minimum of 25 catches? DeSean Jackson? Nope, he’s 4th at 9.5 yards per target. T.O.? Nah, he’s 5th at 9.0. Donte’ Stallworth is 2nd at 10.4. So who’s first? Would you believe backup tight end Richard Rodgers? The veteran backup tight end has been targeted 34 times as an Eagle and caught 27 passes for 363 yards for a franchise-best 10.7 yards per target. You could have given me 1,000 guesses and I wouldn’t have guessed RichRod.

9. Zach Pascal reminds me of Jason Avant. Tough dude, slot specialist, terrific blocker, unselfish team guy. Avant averaged 41-for-511 in his seven full seasons with the Eagles, and Pascal has averaged 41-for-540 in his three full seasons in Indy. Considering the $1.5 million price tag, I’m fine with Pascal – as long as the Eagles still draft a WR in the first three rounds.

10. Someone needs to explain to me why Bill Hewitt and Ollie Matson are in the Eagles Hall of Fame. Nothing personal. Both were great players. But not here. Hewitt played in the 1930s and made three all-pro teams and reached two NFL Championship Games with the Bears – winning one. But he only spent 3 ½ seasons with the Eagles and only played in 38 games. He caught 51 passes for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns as an Eagle and was on four teams that went a combined 13-27-2. And Matson spent the last three seasons of a 15-year career here and only played in 40 games for the Eagles. Matson was a five-time all-pro with the Cards but by the time he arrived in Philly he was 34 and a part-time player. He rushed for 608 yards and caught 25 passes for 301 yards in three years with the Eagles and scored 10 touchdowns. Hewitt and Matson were both inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the early 1970s but not for anything they did with the Eagles. The Eagles’ Hall of Fame should be reserved for those who truly made a monumental impact on the franchise. Hewitt and Matson didn’t come close.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-observations-making-sense-derek-barnett-free-agency-signing

I really don't care what numbers Barnett got. He's not worth any number. He's not a terrible player, he's been a first round bust but he's not a terrible player. But he's a walking penalty and this team have given him 5 years and he's been disappointing at best.

8 minutes ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

I really don't care what numbers Barnett got. He's not worth any number. He's not a terrible player, he's been a first round bust but he's not a terrible player. But he's a walking penalty and this team have given him 5 years and he's been disappointing at best.

besides the penalties he’s an ok player… like i’ve seen a number of other places if it was a different player with the same stats we would be saying we got a player.. Barnett hasn’t had much around him as far as talent maybe he is able to put things together now..  even several of barnetts fouls are just bad calls like the one vs tampa which shouldn’t have been called, but that’s the way the nfl wants to be now.. could you imagine if reggie white and bruce smith had to play on the nfl today? 

So, when do they have to make public his contract?