Stay or Go?
The Vikings' new leadership will have many roster decisions to make, including how to approach a handful of prominent players scheduled to become free agents in March.
1. Linebacker Anthony Barr: Upon the front office asking him to take a pay cut, Barr renegotiated his contract to stay in Minnesota for what might've been an eighth and final Vikings season. The former Pro Bowler dealt with more injury issues when his right knee started giving him trouble in training camp. He sat out a few weeks before undergoing arthroscopic surgery in late August, delaying his debut until Week 5 vs. Detroit. He played 704 defensive snaps (62.5%), missing two additional games against the Chargers in Week 10 and the Lions in Week 13 when knee and hamstring issues arose. Still managing the knee injury through midseason practices, Barr wasn't very effective in his first four games. He missed nearly as many tackles — five — than the seven solo takedowns he made. His lone impact play was the clutch, tipped interception off Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in overtime.But Barr said he got healthier, and improved, the more he played. In the last five games, he was credited with 22 solo tackles, one for a loss, two sacks, two quarterback hits, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
https://www.startribune.com/vikings-top-five-free-agentss-stay-or-go-film-review-andrew-krammer/600135811/
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
@"kmillard" said: The old regime has overpaid for GOOD veteran players for too long. Time to get younger and faster.younger doesn't always equal faster, but younger players do get hurt less and recover faster so yes I agree, we shpu;d be looking to get younger where we can.
It's impossible to know what the overarching plan will be. Do we blow it up somewhat to gain more cap room or do we try and make a legitimate playoff run next year? Of the list, only Peterson is someone I think we need to make a strong effort to keep and that's mostly because we need a lot of CB help. Conklin would be solid if the price is right.
All I know is this has to be the bitter end of the DJ Dozier era. That dog won’t hunt.
Can we say that Barr will stay and then go since it's likely he'll sign a voiding minimum deal to decrease his dead money by $4.95M in 2022?
@"Geoff Nichols" said: Can we say that Barr will stay and then go since it's likely he'll sign a voiding minimum deal to decrease his dead money by $4.95M in 2022?I'm not sure what you mean by a voiding minimum deal. Doesn't your proposal take $4.95M out of his pocket?
@"JustinTime18™" said: I think Willekes is going to be really good. He gets a little too reliant on power moves. He's shown some ability to dip and bend. He's got the strength for push pull. Very excited to see what he could do with more reps.I remember being surprised Willekes was still on the board in the 7th round. He had a very good Senior Bowl week. Super short arms and none of the athletic traits you look for in an NFL DE prospect, but he's relentless and seems to win his fair share of battles.
https://spartanswire.usatoday.com/2020/01/25/kenny-willekes-shines-during-week-at-senior-bowl/
@"MaroonBells" said:@"JustinTime18™" said: I think Willekes is going to be really good. He gets a little too reliant on power moves. He's shown some ability to dip and bend. He's got the strength for push pull. Very excited to see what he could do with more reps. I remember being surprised Willekes was still on the board in the 7th round. He had a very good Senior Bowl week. Super short arms and none of the athletic traits you look for in an NFL DE prospect, but he's relentless and seems to win his fair share of battles.https://spartanswire.usatoday.com/2020/01/25/kenny-willekes-shines-during-week-at-senior-bowl/
He's exactly what you want as DE depth. He's the last guy a tired OT wants to go against in the 4th quarter. I don't foresee him being a starter but you can make a nice career being a #4/#5 guy in a rotation.
@"Geoff Nichols" said: Can we say that Barr will stay and then go since it's likely he'll sign a voiding minimum deal to decrease his dead money by $4.95M in 2022?Any thoughts on GM coach?
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