Cowboys sign former Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr
After spending his first eight seasons with Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings, free agent linebacker Anthony Barr is heading to America’s team to play with the Dallas Cowboys. NFL.com insider Mike Garafolo was first with the report Wednesday afternoon.
According to NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport, the deal is just a one-year deal that is worth up to $3 million. That’s an inexpensive contract for an off-ball linebacker who can occasionally rush the passer and drop into coverage if he’s healthy, which has plagued him over the last two seasons.
After striking out on five-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, the Cowboys now have Barr — who’s been linked to Dallas for some time now — alongside Leighton Vander Esch, a second-team All-Pro linebacker as a rookie in 2018, and Micah Parsons, the league’s defensive rookie of the year last year.
Here is what Pro Football Focus said about the former No. 9 overall pick in March when Barr was listed as the 78th-best free agent heading into the offseason:
“Barr agreed to a pay cut before the 2021 season that also voided the 2022 and 2023 seasons on his five-year extension signed in 2019. Better luck with his health led to a respectable 63.8 overall grade and 72.6 pass-rush grade in 2021. Barr is a bit of a unique player, generally deployed as a Sam linebacker in a 4-3 scheme who occasionally gets his hand in the dirt.
“[Barr]’s still best utilized in a role that lets him get after the quarterback as a blitzer. He has consistently met expectations against the run over his eight-year career, producing both negative and positive grades at one of the lowest rates at the linebacker position.”
Find full quote here:
Barr was out all but two games of the 2020 season because of a torn pectoral muscle, the only season of his career where he didn’t play at least 11 games. He also missed time during the 2021 season due to multiple lower body injuries, rallying together 72 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, five total pass deflections (three INT’s) and two fumble recoveries.
Over his eight-year career with Minnesota, he tallied 495 total tackles — 335 solo — with 39 tackles-for-loss, 17.5 sacks, five interceptions, and even fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown as a rookie. He made the Pro-Bowl four times from 2015-18, but has yet to make one since.
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