Anthony Barr – LB
The Vikings made the right call by keeping Anthony Barr on the books rather than make the player a salary-cap casualty. His 2020 season was once again cut short by injury, but if these problems are behind the linebacker, he’ll be shouldering plenty of responsibility during the upcoming campaign.
Barr’s career in Minnesota has been anything but dull. There are some who expected the former UCLA star to produce a little bit more, which is expected of a first-round pick. But the Vikings demonstrated last season that they are a far worse defense when he’s not in the lineup.
However, anybody expecting miracles where Barr is concerned might be out of luck.
The player will be on the wrong side of 30 during the season and there are some doubts about his ability to remain explosive for a prolonged period of time. Barr has enjoyed a good period of rest away from the gridiron after appearing in just two games in 2020, but whether he can return to the old form is another matter entirely.
Much like the case with Adam Thielen, keeping Barr at the peak of his powers and actually on the field is of critical importance. Minnesota has some solid rotational pieces that can take some of the pressure at certain stages of the campaign, which might preserve the player enough to get a full season under his belt.