New Orleans Saints: Trading for Derek Barnett would boost pass rush

The New Orleans Saints couldn’t retain Trey Hendrickson this offseason, as the former third-round pick bolted for Cincinnati. Hendrickson had 13.5 sacks last year and the Saints lost one of their most ferocious defensive weapons with his departure.

Now it’s no secret that the Saints don’t have a ton of money or draft picks to play around with this offseason but if they’re serious about contending this year, their pass rush is going to need a boost — Derek Barnett would provide that boost.

Barnett, who the Eagles took No. 14 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, has been consistently reliable in the pass-rushing department. Chris Roling of Bleacher Report said the Saints need to make an attempt to trade for Barnett and said they should offer Philadelphia a third-round pick in next year’s draft in order to make it happen.

Roling noted the Saints need to find a veteran pass-rushing option and Barnett could be that guy. He also had this to say:

"He’s only going into his age-25 season but has 19.5 sacks over four seasons, so the Saints could buy-in on the idea he’ll blossom further next to names like Cameron Jordan.Granted, the Saints used a first-round pick on pass-rushing help with Payton Turner. But hedging the rookie bet with a low-cost, high-upside move isn’t the worst idea for a team that wants to keep contending."

As Roling mentioned, Payton Turner was taken in the first round by the Saints and they hope he’ll be able to step in and contribute immediately.

Should the New Orleans Saints trade for Derek Barnett?

Barnett is coming off another impressive season with the Eagles, notching 34 tackles, 16 quarterback hits, and 5.5 sacks through 13 games (10 starts). He’d be a welcomed addition to the Saints defense, which — as we mentioned already — lost one of its best weapons from a season ago.

Cameron Jordan is a star and we all know that but he can’t do it at all and this is exactly why the Saints should look to acquire Barnett. The team might not have a ton of draft capital but their roster is still talented enough to contend and they should take advantage of that by adding more talent to their squad.

The thing to keep in mind here is that Barnett is entering the final year of his deal and if the Saints were to acquire him, they might not be able to afford to extend him. Barnett will want to be extended wherever he lands and that’s definitely something that could prevent this trade from happening.

There’s no debating that Derek Barnett would make the Saints a better team in 2021 but can they afford to make this trade? We’ll have to wait and see.