Derek Barnett was a brilliant signing by the Houston Texans

The Philadelphia Eagles gave up on Derek Barnett this season after several poor seasons marred by injuries and underachievement. Hitting the free agency market, the Houston Texans, desperate for some help up front, picked up Barnett with the idea that he could help improve the Texans' front four.

Since coming in, the defensive end has soared up the run defense, and given the Texans the much -needed push against the pass rush that they desperately needed. His impact has mostly been felt since his arrival, with his last three outings for the Texans being a very impressive sort considering he was a late-season arrival.

Barnett's struggles seem to be a thing of the past, with three straight games of 80+ outings according to Pro Football Focus. PFF has graded Barnett out at 83.0 against the New York Jets, 87.8 against the Tennessee Titans, and 80.7 against the Cleveland Browns. And while his latest game saw him take a step back against the run, he's consistently gotten better against the pass rush, with his game against the Browns being his best outing yet, scoring at 81.3. That's his best outing of the year, regardless of the team he's playing on.

Obtaining Barnett was a lost-cost, high-reward move and one that has paid off for the Texans in a way that many thought possible. While many were optimistic that the Texans would get the best version of Barnett possible, there was always a possibility that Barnett would just be passing through.

Luckily for everyone, that hasn't been the case. He's done the impossible and has stepped up huge in place for some injured players, like Will Anderson Jr., and has helped keep the Texans' defense sharp despite the recent string of injuries.

If Barnett can keep going at this pace, it's likely that the Texans will want to keep him around long-term. And they probably should, as it seems as though Barnett is finally putting it all together.