Following a breakout season by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles made it all the way to Super Bowl LVII. Unfortunately for the Birds, they were not a match for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, losing 38-35 on a last-minute field goal.
To make things more complicated, the team will have a lot of things to address in the offseason. Philadelphia has 19 unrestricted free agents in 2023, including All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry, running back Miles Sanders, and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
The Eagles only have about $7.8 million available in cap space. This means they will need to reevaluate their roster before making any final decisions. Because of that, the front office might need to clear some cap space for the re-signings of its key pieces. One way it could do it is by waiving some players and saving some money. With hopes of winning it all next season, even some longtime Eagles are not safe.
With that being said, here is one player from the Philadelphia Eagles who could be a surprise roster cut during the 2023 off-season.
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Eagles surprise roster cut: DE Derek Barnett
While the offense led by MVP finalist Hurts got a lot of attention, Philadelphia's defense was also an X-factor in 2022. The team allowed only 20.2 points per game in the regular season, the eighth-best scoring defense in the league.
A big part of this success was the job by the defensive line. The Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks, 15 more than the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs. Additionally, the Birds made history by having four players with at least 10 sacks in the same season, the first time it has ever happened in the league. Haason Reddick led the way with 16 while Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, and Josh Sweat had 11 each.
With the rise of Sweat, it seems that the future of the defensive end position is set in Philadelphia. However, Graham is an unrestricted free agent in 2023 and should be one of the most coveted Eagles in the market. With limited cap space, the team might need to save as much money as possible to bring him back.
This might result in some roster cuts. One of the players who could be waived soon is longtime Eagle Derek Barnett. He was part of the team's Super Bowl-winning squad in the 2017 season and is one of the few remaining players from that season still in Philadelphia.
The problem is that in this breakout season for the Eagles, Barnett was barely part of it. He appeared in just one game in 2022 as he suffered a torn ACL in Week 1. He would sit out for the remainder of the season. For comparison, he played in 16 games in 2021, starting in all but one of them.
Without him, the Eagles had one of the best defenses in the NFL. This indicates that the team could opt to move from him, especially considering his salary situation. If Philadelphia waives him ahead of the 2023 season, it would save about $2.6 million.
As the Birds try to secure most of their own free agents, it might require some sacrifices. Since he is coming back from a serious injury and was not part of their impressive defensive showing in 2022, the Eagles could opt to give him a chance elsewhere.
Even though the team certainly values his experience, saving $2.6 million could be a game-changing move in free agency. All things considered, Derek Barnett could end up being a surprising cut for the Eagles in the 2023 off-season.
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