REPORT: Eagles Waiving Barnett

 A former first round pick’s time with the Eagles has come to an end.

The Philadelphia Eagles are waiving defensive end Derek Barnett, as reported by ESPN.

Eagles are waiving DE Derek Barnett today, per sources. The 14th overall pick of the 2017 Draft is expected to draw interest and find a new home soon. pic.twitter.com/JMX9ciHJzd

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 24, 2023

Barnett, who missed the team’s previous game and the entire week of practice due to personal reasons, was almost invisible on the stat sheet for the Eagles in 2023, making just three tackles in nine games, two of them coming in Week 1.

With the team wanting to keep Josh Sweat and Haason Reddick on the field as much as possible the need to get Brandon Graham snaps, the 27-year-old found himself with almost no spot in the rotation after returning from an ACL tear suffered in Week 1 of 2022.

After being selected 14th overall in the 2017 NFL draft, Barnett became a Philadelphia hero in his rookie season after recovering Brandon Graham’s strip sack on Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII.

Despite the fast start to his career, the 27-year-old could not break out much beyond the five sack mark. He reached a career-high 6.5 in 2019 and 5.5 in 2020.

The Eagles now have another open roster spot, which could either go to wide receiver Quez Watkins or safety Justin Evans, both in the 21-day practice day window, a sign they are close to being activated from injured reserve.

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.