The Chicago Bears aren’t where they want to be as a team right now, sitting at 3-8 with one of the worst records in
the NFL. However, that can’t stop them from doing everything in their power to improve the roster. GM Ryan Poles
and head coach Matt Eberflus know they have to win some of these games down the stretch to ensure another
season. That means they cannot hesitate to add players they feel might give them even a slightly better chance to
win. It seems one name has their attention.
The Philadelphia Eagles waived former 1st round pick Derek Barnett last week. Their roster is loaded with pass
rushers, and he wasn’t getting much playing time. It seems the two sides fnally decided to part ways. Adam Schefter of ESPN appeared on The Pat MCAfee Show to talk about his situation. He believes somebody will claim Barnett off waivers by Monday afternoon. To him, two teams are the heavy favorites. One is the Miami Dolphins, having just lost pass rusher Jaelen Phillips to a season-ending injury.
Chicago is the other, having explored a possible trade for Barnett a few weeks ago before pulling the trigger on Mntez Sweat.
The Chicago Bears may not get the old Barnett.
There is a reason the defensive end was released. He wasn’t playing well. The truth is he hasn’t been the same since
tearing his ACL early in 2022. After that, others began stepping up on the roster. By the time he returned, there were
no snaps to spare for Barnett. He only rushed the QB 55 times this season. It is hard to know whether he can
recapture any of the magic from his first five years in the league when he was a consistent nuisance for
quafterbacks. He’s still only 27 years old. Perhaps a fresh start might help get his confidence back.
There isn’t much depth on the Chicago Bears’ front behind Sweat and Yannick Ngakoue. Dominique Robinson and
Rasheem Green have both underwhelmed in their rotational roles. If Barnett gets claimed, he should see snaps
almost immediately. Assistant GM lan Cunningham knows the defensive end welL He was in Philadelphia when they
drafted the young man in 2017. If Barnett is willing to work and play hard, there is no reason to think he can’t
nd, provided the knee is healthy.
Prior to waiving Derek Barnett, the Eagles restructured his contract (converting salary into a bonus), which means if a team claims Barnett today it would cost just $420K in base salary for the rest of the season, plus small per-game roster bonuses.
Reasonable price for an edge…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 27, 2023
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