Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett: 2 Great Eagles, 2 different career paths
Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett are two great Eagles who are alike in more ways than the position that they both play.
Both were top-15 draft picks. Both are Philadelphia Eagles because two very high-profile trades. In the case of Brandon Graham, ‘The Birds’ traded up in 2010’s NFL Draft to snag him. Derek Barnett, on the other hand, can attribute the wings on his helmet to a trade that sent Sam Bradford from Philly to the Minnesota Vikings just days before the 2016 NFL season began. Both play defensive end.
Their paths, though different share a ton of similarities. Graham, now one of the elder statesmen on the team, has played the role of big brother to Barnett for two NFL seasons now. Barnett may now have to play that role to benefit someone else.
Philly brought Josh Sweat in a season ago, but no one knows how his career will end up yet. The Eagles also have Daeshon Hall, Vinny Curry and Chris Long on the roster. Still, most of the Eagles fan base would feel more comfortable if the Eagles selected a defensive end in 2019’s draft.
That means Barnett would become the big brother, of sorts. Philly has high hopes for the man who actually broke Reggie White’s career sack record at Tennessee. Prior to a shoulder injury in 2018 that resulted in season-ending surgery that put Barnett on the Eagles’ IR (injured reserve), Barnett was quietly having a good season.
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Recently, Jimmy Kempski, of Philly Voice, extrapolated the numbers Barnett put up in the seven games he played in over a 16-game schedule and, then, compared them to Michael Bennett’s season numbers. Check that piece out. What he came up with might surprise you.
On March 1st, Graham, the owner of the most famous strip sack in team history (and, possibly, the Super Bowl) signed a three-year, $40 million contract extension. Hopefully, that means he’ll retire as an Eagle. He also celebrated a birthday recently. On April 3rd, he turned 31. The aforementioned Curry rejoined the team 20 days later.
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The band’s back together. What kind of tune might they play in 2019? Will Philly add another defensive end in the draft? Will Josh Sweat turn it on in year two? How much does Chris Long have left in the tank? There are a ton of stories surrounding the impending season, but one thing’s certain.
The 2019 regular season could be a pretty magical one for Philly. Keep your fingers crossed if you’re a fan.