4 Vikings players that could be traded during the 2021 offseason

Anthony Barr – LB

It’s been a while since the Vikings have seen Anthony Barr on the field. Thanks to a torn pectoral muscle, Barr only appeared in two games for Minnesota this past season, and his absence was a big reason why the team’s defense took a giant step backward.

Before his injury-ravaged 2020 campaign, Barr had developed into one of the top linebackers in the league. His value to the Vikings might not be obvious in the box score, but the veteran linebacker was sorely missed by the team’s defense this past season.

This year, Minnesota will have a decision to make since Eric Wilson will be hitting free agency. The Vikings can either re-sign Wilson and find a trade partner for Barr or let Wilson walk and give Barr his old job back.

Personally, Wilson had the best performance of his career in 2020. He led Minnesota with 122 tackles while also accumulating 10 pressures, nine quarterback hits, eight pass breakups, three sacks, and three interceptions.

Despite his play, however, the Vikings defense still performed very poorly with him out on the field. But Minnesota might decide to bring Wilson back for 2021 anyway since he could potentially cost less than Barr.

For next season, Barr is currently scheduled to have a $15.5 million cap hit. As we mentioned previously, the Vikings will likely need to make some significant roster moves just to get out of the red with their salary cap before the start of the new league year in March.

If Minnesota can trade Barr before June 1, the move would clear $7.7 million in cap space. Is that enough for the Vikings to try and get rid of one of their top defenders?