Anthony Barr left his Saints visit without a deal in place and a report indicated other teams are on the radar. One of those suitors emerged hours later. The Giants look to be interested in the veteran linebacker.
The Giants and Barr are arranging a visit, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The Giants have two young linebackers attempting to fill in alongside Bobby Okereke, but Barr would certainly bring an experience edge for a team that lost Jarrad Davis to a season-ending injury.
A Giants-Barr connection exists through defensive line coach Andre Patterson, who was in Minnesota throughout Barr’s time with the team (as a part of Mike Zimmer‘s staff). Having fired Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman, the Vikings did not bring Barr back last year. He spent the 2022 season with the Cowboys.
Despite signing with Dallas near the start of last year’s training camp, Barr moved into a regular role with the Cowboys. The 2014 first-rounder started 10 games and added two more postseason starts, playing at least 65% of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps in each postseason contest.
For the season, Barr finished with 58 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a sack. His best years obviously came in Minnesota, but the UCLA alum is still generating interest as a role player.
Okereke signed a four-year, $40M contract with the Giants in March, joining a team desperate for ILB help. Okereke’s deal trailed only Tremaine Edmunds for linebacker value this offseason, being well north of the other off-ball ‘backers on this year’s market.
The Giants did not spend to upgrade at the other ILB starting spot, going with Davis on a league-minimum pact. But Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury during offseason workouts.
The Giants have 2022 fifth-round pick Micah McFadden (seven starts) and 2022 sixth-rounder Darrian Beavers, who is coming off an ACL tear that wiped out his rookie year. Beavers is believed to have a leg up on McFadden, but the Giants checking in on Barr points to the team exploring a veteran upgrade.
Barr passed his Saints physical, per Anderson, but wants to explore this late-summer market. A four-time Pro Bowler with the Vikings, Barr transitioned from college edge rusher to NFL off-ball presence.
Zimmer deployed Barr as a 4-3 outside linebacker, but he has spent time as a sporadic rusher as well. Barr has 18.5 sacks and 48 QB hits over the course of his nine-year career.
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