Allen Park — It never ceases to amaze how quickly what was exciting, shiny and new a year ago is cast aside for the next big thing in the NFL. And although there's no way the team would characterize it in such terms, in many ways it's exactly what has happened to Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes.
Arriving as a fourth-round pick last season, with a stamp of approval from franchise legend Chris Spielman, Barnes played 448 snaps as a rookie in 2021. It was far from a stellar debut campaign for Barnes, who battled understandable struggles transitioning from playing along the defensive line at Purdue to lining up off the ball for the Lions, but there was lingering optimism he was primed for the developmental jump between his first and second year that is commonly experience.