The Kansas City Chiefs should take a flier on former Tennessee Vols standout
The Kansas City Chiefs gave defensive end Frank Clark a new contract earlier this month, which reduced his salary cap hit. Clark's new contract means he'll be back in Kansas City as a starting defensive end in 2022, along with Chris Jones. Despite having Clark and Jones back in 2022, the Chiefs could still use […]
The Kansas City Chiefs gave defensive end Frank Clark a new contract earlier this month, which reduced his salary cap hit.
Clark's new contract means he'll be back in Kansas City as a starting defensive end in 2022, along with Chris Jones.
Despite having Clark and Jones back in 2022, the Chiefs could still use another edge rusher — especially going up against Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert, and Derek Carr twice a year. Depth is extremely important in the trenches — KC will need to be able to rotate pass rushers to have guys fresh in the fourth quarter.
That's why I think the Chiefs should take a flier on former Tennessee Vols defensive end Derek Barnett.
Barnett, who is a free agent, spent the first five years of his career with the Philadephia Eagles after being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
The former Vol, who broke Reggie White's single-season sack at Tennessee, has been a solid player for the Eagles, though not necessarily spectacular.
Barnett has 21.5 career sacks. Not great, but decent.
The good thing about Barnett is that he's only 25 years old. He still has a ton of upside. And he'll likely be cheap as we hit the second and third waves of free agency.
Barnett has a bit of a reputation for committing untimely penalties, but he actually only has 24 during his career (which ranks No. 46 in the NFL over the last five years). So that's a narrative that's been blown out of proportion a bit.
This would be a fairly low-risk move for the Chiefs that could pay major dividends. Maybe Kansas City could unlock something in Barnett and help him reach his full potential. He was a dominant player in the SEC, so we know he has the talent and the drive.
You can never have too many pass rushers. This would be a nice under-the-radar move that could help the Chiefs in a big way in 2022.
Featured image via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
