5 potential landing spots for Eagles DE Derek Barnett in NFL free agency

Don’t forget it was Joe Douglas that helped bring Derek Barnett to Philly.

If New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas looks familiar to you, it’s because he should. He was the Philadelphia Eagles’ vice president of player personnel from 2016 to 2019.

Looking back at what’s come from the four drafts he had his hand in has led to debates among Eagles enthusiasts. That was the case during his tenure here, and that hasn’t slowed any in the years that have followed his decision to trade midnight green for the Gotham shade of green. Derek Barnett’s selection factors into that discussion some, but if history has taught us anything, it’s this.

Familiarity often factors in when teams acquire players, and we’ve seen former Birds leave the nest to rejoin Douglas in Florham Park before. Might history repeat itself in 2022?

The Jets enter the offseason with questions at every position. Yes, we include the quarterback position when we say that, but as Robert Saleh enters year two of his era, a defensive-minded head coach has to have made note of the fact that his team is troubled at cornerback, safety, and EDGE.

This is a marriage that makes sense for two reasons. One, again, there’s an obvious familiarity that Douglas has with Barnett as they spent the first three years of Barnett’s pro career together in Philadelphia. Second, Derek’s been disappointing, but that may be a fact that’s lost on the Jets organization.

How do we say this nicely? Let’s just say that this isn’t an organization that appears to do the proper amount of work when it comes to scouting NFL talent. They may view Derek Barnett and see some upside that the rest of us aren’t seeing.