Eagles Cut Derek Barnett's Salary; New Contract Helps Ex 1st-Rounder Make Roster?
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PHILADELPHIA – If Derek Barnett wasn’t totally comfortable with his role on the Philadelphia Eagles this season, his situation grew even less comfy when he and the team agreed to a contract restructure that cut his financial gain by a significant amount.
Barnett was previously due to make a $7.5 million salary ($1.5M guaranteed) with up to $1M in per-game bonuses up to a max value of $8.5M. He’s now due a $3.5M guaranteed salary, with $250K in per-game bonuses and up to $2.25M in incentives (max value $6M).
Now entering his seventh season, after being drafted in the first round of 2017 and having a hand in helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LII as a rookie, Barnett has an uphill climb to make the roster.
He is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in last season’s opener against the Detroit Lions.
The Eagles also drafted edge rusher Nolan Smith and Janarius Robinson is expected to make a valiant bid for a roster spot on the edge. It’s crowded, to say the least and Barnett has to find a way to emerge, so the more time he misses in camp, the less chance he has to stick.
Brandon Graham has always been a supporter of all his teammates, but especially Barnett.
“He’s upbeat,” said Graham about Barnett. “Like I told him out there, ‘Hey man, just put that smile up. Smile more, because, at the end of the day, you’re still here. With so much you’ve been through you can make it all go away just by what you do this year.’ ... Luckily, we still got a chance, so enjoy it, embrace that chance make sure you’re working every day, and like I tell you, control what you can.”
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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