3 reasons Jacksonville Jaguars should be all in on Derek Barnett after his release
• The Jaguars have tried to bolster their pass rush
• They might as well kick the tires on Barnett
1. This is the Jaguars chance to upgrade their pass rush
As noted before, the Jaguars made several attempts to upgrade their pass rush for a while. They first had interest in reuniting with Yannick Ngakoue before the draft but nothing materialized. They then hosted Calais Campbell and Jadeveon Clowney but opted not to sign either one. Campell ended up going to the Atlanta Falcons and Clowney signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Jags also pursued defensive end Danielle Hunter in the offseason, he even started following them on Instagram. Once again, general manager Trent Baalke couldn't seal the deal. Add the fact that Frank Clark and Leonard Floyd were available in the summer, and it's fair to say that the Jaguars weren't aggressive enough in their pursuit of a pass rusher.
Make no mistake, outside linebacker Josh Allen is having a monster year, while sophomore Travon Walker has made strides. But that shouldn't deter Jacksonville from bolstering their pass rush rotation. DeVon Hamilton is back in the mix after starting the season on Injured Reserve but he was a healthy scratch against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12. Head coach Doug Pederson told the media the team wanted Hamilton to fully recover physically and mentally.
From an outside perspective, it's hard to tell why the Jags are holding Ham back. Either way, it seems like he may need more time to recover, and if that's the case, Barnett would provide insurance.
The bottom line is that Barnett would be a reclamation prospect. He won't suddenly turn into an All-Pro talent but he would most definitely bolster the Jaguars' pass rush.
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