3 Vikings players who could be shocking cuts in 2021

Anthony Barr – LB

It was a bit shocking when the Vikings actually decided to re-sign Anthony Barr during the 2019 offseason. After giving a verbal agreement to the New York Jets, Barr decided to remain with Minnesota instead and sign a new five-year deal worth up to $67.5 million.

For someone who hasn’t really lived up to being a top 10 draft pick, the young linebacker could be someone the Vikings consider letting go in 2021 if they need to create cap space.

Barr has a cap hit of $15.5 million in 2021 and Minnesota would free up $7.7 million by cutting him or trading him before June 1. The Vikings would have $7.8 million in dead cap to deal with if they parted ways with the linebacker in 2021, but there’s a good chance that every team is going to be racking up the dead money in 2021 if the salary cap goes down to $175 million.

Despite some criticisms in the past, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer has always stood up for Barr and made it known that the linebacker is an important part of the team’s defense. If the Vikings feel it’s best to move on from Barr in 2021 though, praise from Zimmer likely won’t make much of a difference.