Eagles' Barnett Disconnect: 'It's Always Him' vs. 'Wonderful Person'

It’s an incredible disconnect from a psychological standpoint that could probably earn grant money if pitched by a PhD.

Inside the NovaCare Complex, Barnett is revered as a hard-working professional and a great teammate.

“Derek is meticulous in his preparation,” said Jeremiah Washburn, Barnett’s position coach. “He does a lot of work with (assistant strength and conditioning coach) Eddie Grayer and our strength coaches pre-practice, does a lot of individual work with me and the assistants, then a lot of post-practice stuff.”

The schism, however, is best amplified by how Barnett is viewed as a person by those who know him.

“He is a very genuine warm person,” Washburn said. “We have a new assistant coach here and I told him in the spring you're going to love Derek Barnett and he told me yesterday 'I love Derek Barnett.'

“Everybody in the building loves him just because he's very authentic. He's a wonderful person."

Washburn’s sentiments were offered moments after the Eagles’ joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts was cut short after things got too chippy and Jason Kelce decided to make Colts’ linebacker Zaire Franklin roadkill after a 40-yard sprint.

Long before Kelce bubbled over from Franklin trying to bully running back Kenny Gainwell, Barnett was pestering Indianapolis rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, resulting in a scrum that might have lit the fuse.

“It’s always him” was revived on social media.

"I'd have to watch it. That's not a cop-out,” Washburn said when asked about the dust-up. “I legit did not see it so we'd have to watch it on the tape."

In a bottom-line business, it would be far easier for the Eagles to just cut bait on Barnett.

He’s no longer the guy who broke Reggie White’s sack records at Tennessee or the prospect with the bend around the edge to be a double-digit sack artist. Coming into camp, Barnett was projected to be the fifth edge rusher behind Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham, and Nolan Smith.

However, when Barnett was finally cleared from the torn ACL that wiped out most of his 2022 season, there he was, getting more first-team reps than expected, working as a drop linebacker on occasion, and forcing his way into the plans as a valuable rotational piece to the point Howie Roseman worked out a restructured deal to make it more palatable for the Eagles to keep him.

"He looks really good,” Washburn said. “... you're seeing a lot of spring out of him now so he's playing well. He's doing a great job."

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