Minnesota extended linebacker Anthony Barr in 2019, and based on the amount of money they gave him, some would say he’s a little overrated.
Barr inked a five-year, $67.5 million deal, which included a $13 million signing bonus.
Despite that, PFF put Barr on its one-year wonder team, listing him as a player who has dropped off since earlier in his career. Personally, I thought it was a bit harsh to label Barr a one-year wonder, but it’s safe to say the Vikings probably should not have paid that much money for him.
Bleacher Report called Barr the Vikings’ most overpaid player. Here’s what it said about the linebacker:
“So instead let’s put a spotlight on Barr, who was a slight disappointment in the first year of a massive new contract last season. He was too quiet too often, which isn’t unusual for an off-ball linebacker in a pass-heavy league, but we’re talking about one of the six highest-paid non-rushing linebackers in the NFL. They need him to be a game-changer at that price, and one pick, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble won’t get him there.”
What’s also crazy is that the Vikings’ Eric Kendricks, who’s likely considered better than Barr and is arguably one of the top linebackers in the league, is on just a five-year $50 million deal with a $10.5 million signing bonus.
Barr is solid; it would just be great for the Vikings to restructure the deal in a way that represents his level of play a little more.
