The Vikings have little cap space heading into the official free agency window. That means Minnesota may want to make some moves to free up space.
One of those moves could be restructuring with linebacker Anthony Barr. Barr is a good player. He’s considered a leader on defense and has carved out a good role with the team. That said, his cap hit of more than $15 million for 2021 is high.
The Vikings are reportedly trying to change that. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Minnesota is working on restructuring with Barr in a move that would reduce his salary, but make him a free agent in 2022, as opposed to 2023.
In some respects, this seems like a good move for both parties. The Vikings need to free up more cap space and Barr becoming a free agent earlier could land him a big deal sooner. Also, if Minnesota were to hypothetically cut Barr, I’m not so sure he would be able to garner great value in free agency.
As reported by the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson, Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald thinks Barr would only command half of his $12.9 million salary in the open market. So, in a way, this makes sense for both parties.
