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By David Helman
FOX Sports activities Dallas Cowboys Author
OXNARD, Calif. — It may not be a receiver, however the Dallas Cowboys have made their first main transfer of this season.
One week into practices out right here on the West Coast, the Cowboys agreed to a one-year cope with veteran linebacker and four-time Professional Bowler Anthony Barr on Wednesday. The Cowboys had been linked to Barr, who spent eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, for the previous few months earlier than finally agreeing on a deal.
With 103 profession begins and 523 whole tackles to his title, Barr is an apparent enhance to a linebacker corps that was missing in depth. The Cowboys boast a strong prime duo of Micah Parsons and Leighton Vander Esch, however the group behind them — Jabril Cox, Luke Gifford, Malik Jefferson and Devin Harper — is missing in expertise.
That’s clearly not the case with Barr, who spent six seasons in Minnesota with present Cowboys assistant George Edwards, who was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator when Barr was drafted with the No. 9 general decide within the 2014 NFL Draft.
It is a humorous reminder of how issues can come full circle. Barr was one among a handful of defensive prospects the Cowboys coveted on the prime of that draft, together with Aaron Donald and Ryan Shazier. All three of them have been snatched out from in entrance of them, in order that they settled on All-Professional guard Zack Martin — which turned out to be an incredible determination, on reflection.
Including Barr is about extra than simply pure numbers, although. The signing provides the Cowboys fairly just a few versatile items that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn can use.
For starters, it is no secret Parsons will play a task within the Cowboys’ cross rush. Contemporary off a 13-sack rookie season, Parsons has spent loads of time in coaching camp aligned alongside the sting. Including Barr provides Quinn one other confirmed linebacker who will help Vander Esch man the center of the sector whereas Parsons pursues the quarterback.
Barr ought to be capable of assist in extra methods than one, although. He rushed the passer ceaselessly throughout his faculty profession at UCLA, and that has translated to the NFL. It clearly hasn’t been his major focus, however Barr has 17.5 profession sacks for his profession, posting 2.5 in the course of the 2021 season.
Whether or not as a blitzer or an edge rusher, it stands to cause Quinn might discover methods to get Barr to the quarterback, as effectively.
As beforehand famous, perhaps this is not the final transfer to return. The foot harm suffered by James Washington on Monday nonetheless has the Cowboys in a little bit of a bind at huge receiver.
That’ll have to attend. However in the interim, they’ve added top-of-the-line remaining free-agent defenders in the marketplace — and a man who ought to be capable of contribute to this protection in additional methods than one.
David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports activities, offering perception and evaluation on the NFL’s most seen franchise. Previous to becoming a member of FOX, David spent 9 seasons overlaying the Cowboys for the group’s official web site, DallasCowboys.com. In 2018, he gained a regional Emmy for his function in producing “Dak Prescott: A Household Reunion” in regards to the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State.
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