Three players the Cardinals should acquire by the NFL trade deadline

Derek Barnett is a former first round pick who is buried on the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart due to their overwhelming amount of talent on the defensive line. He has only played on 22% of the Eagles defensive snaps this season.

When given the opportunity, however, he has shown an ability to produce. From 2019-2021 Barnett started 39 games and had 14 sacks and 23 tackles for loss during that span.

Still only 27 years old, Barnett helps add talent to a pass rushing unit that has been bottom half of the league in generating sacks since their strong performance against the Washington Commanders. He is also already familiar with Jonathan Gannon’s scheme and won the starting job in Gannon’s first year as defensive coordinator. Barnett could step right in and be a rotational piece to keep pressure on the quarterback throughout the entire game with the additional upside in becoming a player who can be a weekly starter.

Derek Barnett is affordable to acquire and keep on the roster. He signed a three-year $15.2 million contract with the Eagles in 2022. After a restructure to his contract in August, Barnett is set to enter free agency in 2024.

The Arizona Cardinals could give him an opportunity in a bigger role to see if he fits the long-term future. For the cost of a day three pick and absorbing his contract, the Arizona Cardinals could do much worse than to give the pass rusher a test drive.

• Philadelphia Eagles Receive: 2024 fifth round pick (via Philadelphia), Arizona Cardinals Receive: Derek Barnett, 2024 sixth round pick (via Tennessee)