The Cowboys come into training camp with serious questions regarding their depth at the Linebacker position. After letting veteran Keanu Neal walk, the team now is most likely set into starting Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, and Jabril Cox. Cox is coming off an ACL tear, and beyond those 3, it’s filled with special teamers who probably won’t give you production as LBs. To solve the issue of the lack of depth, the Cowboys are looking to dive into the free agency pool to add eight-year NFL veteran Anthony Barr.
Barr is a four-time pro bowler, and his skill set would fit nicely while adding the extra depth the team needs at the position. Barr is an all-around solid player and would help the team in multiple areas. He’s effective as a Blitzer, reliable stopping the run, and dependable in coverage. Barr surprisingly had his career high in pass breakups and interceptions last year with 5 PBUs and 3 INTs in 11 games. Both may be somewhat aberrant, but it’s impressive and proves that Barr can still cover effectively. Another important nugget is that the Cowboys Sr. Defensive assistant is George Edwards, who also happened to be Barr’s defensive coordinator in Minnesota for six years.
Unfortunately, there are a few reasons why Barr is still unsigned a week out of training camp. First, Barr is asking for around $11 million a year. NFL teams are not willing to pay that, especially for a guy that has missed 30 games in 6 years with his prime most likely well behind him. The more critical issue surrounding Barr is the one I just stated; he can’t stay healthy and has a knee injury that’s been ailing him. The asking price for Barr will most likely go down a lot as he sees teams aren’t going to give him $11 million a year, but the knee problems are a concerning issue.
Luckily for Barr, if he came to Dallas, he wouldn’t be asked to play every down and start. He’d be used as a rotational piece and depth on a defense that I see being one of the better in the NFL. Even though Barr’s best years are behind him, he’s still only 30, and coming after an excellent year being a high-end rotational piece is precisely what both parties should be looking for. If Barr cuts his price down to around 5 or 6 million a year, I could see the Cowboys making a move.
Most teams don’t like to sign players during training camp from a fit and timing issue, but hey, the Cowboys did it last year with Malik Hooker, who had a very underrated season and will likely be the starting Free Saftey in 2022. Adding Barr could be a sneaky good move to help this team’s defense keep itself in high regard. I have high hopes for this defense; a movie like this will ensure the defense’s success.
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