The Cowboys signed free agent linebacker Anthony Barr on Wednesday. The door was ajar for Dallas before bringing him in officially, but after James Washington went down two days prior, I didn’t see this coming.
Barr agreed to a one-year contract with a $2M base value, worth up to $3M when including incentives.
For the price, the signing by the Cowboys was a good one. The former Minnesota Viking can bring value to this team.
The addition of Barr helps the depth at the LB position and could allow Dan Quinn to use Micah Parsons in any way possible to create havoc on the opposing offense. (More than he would have without the depth). That’s my favorite thing about this signing.
Barr alongside Leighton Vander Esch could be very nice. Barr can play on and off the ball, allowing others to do what they do best when they need to.
Here’s new Cowboys LB Anthony Barr with an overtime INT vs. Ravens last season:pic.twitter.com/YujmjZlQAu
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 3, 2022
Utilizing Barr will also allow Quinn to move around Jabril Cox. He is a versatile player who the Cowboys have high hopes for after being limited in 2021 due to a torn ACL. I expect Cox to move around and still play heavily in passing situations.
Barr won’t need to do as much as he once did as a member of the Vikings, but If they get that high-level production, we will see the Dallas defense being one of the best in the league.
It is easy to try and guess what signing Barr means for the defense, but until we see him on the field, we may not know what Quinn could already have planned for this group. I’m excited to watch.
I’ll conclude by saying if Barr stays healthy or can play 80% of the snaps, Dallas will have a top-three defense. The signing will allow Quinn to move Parsons wherever he wants and create different packages for them. Barr is starting on the PUP list, not because of an injury, according to team sources, but more to get him ready to jump into camp.
I trust Quinn to use him effectively. The value of Barr goes beyond the impact he will make on his own. The signing will allow other players to move around and play to their strengths.
Not the signing I thought they would make, but I am okay with it.
