Anthony Barr Trade Whispers Begin
On Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings restructured the contract of punter Britton Colquitt. That little move sends the Vikings to a grand total north of $10 million for up-to-date cap space. Not bad for a team that was $8 million underwater a few weeks ago.
The Vikings are not finished finding methods to trim cap space. $10 million is a friendly starter kit to get two serviceable players or one good one. Minnesota needs more than one good player. That means that more unforeseen transactions are afoot. Or general manager Rick Spielman can enact his modus operandi and restructure folks’ deals (like Harrison Smith, Kirk Cousins, or Adam Thielen).
A new wrinkle was added on Thursday, though. Via Twitter, a realistic Anthony Barr trade was mentioned by a Minneapolis sports personality – one not known for outrageous pot-stirring. Barr has been a member of the Vikings since 2014, the commencement of head coach Mike Zimmer’s term. In fact, Barr was the first draft pick inserted into Zimmer’s pocket.
The coronavirus wreaked havoc on the NFL’s salary cap. All teams’ budgets shrunk in 2021 whereas the annual custom is for the cap to raise. But not after the pandemic season. All teams are kicking around scenarios to satisfy the $182.5 million cap threshold. Remember – the NFL has a hard cap. There is no leniency as seen in the NBA and MLB.
The Source Knows his Stuff
The source is Darren Wolfson from kstp.com. He isn’t a Vikings conspiracy theorist. He does not outwardly “favor Anthony Barr over Eric Wilson.” He avoids ascribing to a one-sided Vikings hype agenda.
By implication, he is hearing that Barr could conceivably be traded. General Manager Rick Spielman confirmed Vikings trade talks were underway (Barr or no Barr), and Wolfson believes this could affect Barr. Pretty elementary stuff.
Wolfson is not your buddy from Chaska that hates Kirk Cousins and wants the Vikings to cut him and rebuild. He is a credible Vikings voice, so when he implies that his musings are not random – he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
If the offseason chugs along and Barr stays with the Vikings – great. That does not mean that Barr was untouchable via the trade market. Nor does it mean Wolfson is an idiot.
This source illuminates that Barr is perhaps not an untouchable defensive staple anymore.
Barr Earns A Lot of Money
Should Barr play for a non-Vikings team in 2021, his exodus from Minnesota will be traced to money. His cap hit for 2020 is right around $15 million, which is the third-highest on the team behind quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Danielle Hunter.
Barr does not pack stats into the box score, but he is a reliable tackler, pass-coverage asset, and run-stopper. There is not too much football stuff by which Barr falters. He missed all of 2020 with a torn pectoral muscle. The Vikings defense plummeted mightily without him, Hunter, Michael Pierce, Mike Hughes, and Eric Kendricks [down the stretch].
The UCLA alumnus, Barr, is not washed from a performance standpoint, his injury recovery is not frightful, and he is generally admired by Vikings fans. If he is traded to massage the salary cap, it is a “business side of things” event – plain and simple.
In 2018, Barr nearly joined the New York Jets during free agency. But he had a change of heart, left the Jets at the altar, and re-upped with the Vikings. He is an admirable man, leader, and football player. The trade hubbub should only be considered as dollars and cents.
Trade Value Is Unknown
Determining his value is tricky. He is a strongside linebacker that does not lineup on the line of scrimmage to rush the passer. Zimmer often utilizes Barr via blitz, but Barr is not an EDGE linebacker. In that vein, Barr is a bit overpaid at $15 million for 2021. That lofty figure is generally reserved for EDGE linebackers.
So, what can the Vikings get for Barr? If Barr was not hurt in 2020, perhaps he would draw a 3rd-Round pick or so. His injury muddles the forecast. A team might send over a 4th-Rounder to kickstart their personal Anthony Barr Experience. That would give the Vikings five 4th-Round picks in their satchel – and an additional $7-8 million in cap space after the dead cap fallout.
