The theory seemed solid. Perhaps it was inspired.
Surrounding Brian Burns with better players than he did during the five years he spent as an occasional solo artist with the Panthers should increase his productivity.
By getting him involved in a more positive football environment, all of his athleticism will lead to even more success for Barnes and his new team.
That theory has yet to be realized with either Barnes or the Giants.
Through four games, he hasn't been dominant and the Giants haven't won.
It's not that Barnes couldn't play at a high level.
He's too talented to just fit in.
But he wasn't outstanding, and that's not what the Giants want or need from a player they acquired in a trade and signed a five-year contract worth up to $150 million.
Barnes was brought in to make a difference, but it's not much different than what's happening with the Giants. The Giants are 1-3 after losing to the Cowboys 20-15, with 10 days between games. before leaving to play against Seattle.
This is nothing new for Barnes.
He racked up 47 sacks with the Panthers, but never came close to winning in Carolina — the Panthers went 24-59 in five seasons with Barnes.
“I've been here before,” Burns said. “So I'm really trying to take it one day at a time and just focus on myself and look in the mirror and try to take advantage of the plays and the opportunities that I get. One-on-one. When I have time, [quarterback]I’m just trying to influence the game as much as I can.”
Barnes only had a sack in four games.
He recorded 13 tackles, three QB hits, two lost tackles and one forced fumble.
He has been more effective than his raw numbers.
He ranks as the 13th most effective edge defender in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Kayvon Thibodeau is rated the No. 81 edge player by PFF.
Dexter Lawrence is the No. 2 interior defender.
This trio probably put together a handful of great moments, but not enough.
Barnes played defense on 47 of the 56 snaps, but didn't have much of an impact against the Cowboys.
According to Next Gen Stats, he didn't create a single pressure in 25 pass rushes.
It was the first time in Barnes' career that he was never pressured in a game with at least 10 rushes.
Barnes rushed the passer 17 times against right tackle Terrence Steele, but couldn't get up in the games the Giants needed to take advantage.
The Giants want more from him.
“Spider is a great athlete and a great defensive end,” linebacker Micah McFadden said. “He's played at a high level in this league for many years. I have a lot of respect for this guy on the field and off the field. Obviously, he may not have played to his own standards. “No, but we all believe in him and we know there's more to it than just him, the whole defense. We're ready to put it on film.”
Capturing more impactful snaps on film is everyone's goal. Barnes is a veteran, but he is still young at 26 years old.
The Giants were attracted to him because of his quality of play, track record of durability, and the durability he would have as a cornerstone of the defense for the duration of his contract.
For now, this will be a break for Barnes, as coach Brian Daboll gave his players the weekend off.
Thursday night games often give teams mini-byes.
The Giants could use a break considering they lost two games they thought they could have won.
Barnes can use the time to evaluate the first part of his career with the Giants.
“It's going to be a good reset,” Barnes said after the loss to the Cowboys. “Dabes had some powerful words after that. He's disappointed, but he's not disappointed because we never gave up. It was a close game. The players showed a lot of grit, the offense showed a lot of… They showed their mettle. They just made more plays than we did.”
