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During the 2018 season, fans were treated to a semi-busy trade deadline for the NFL. We saw the likes of Demaryius Thomas, Golden Tate, Dante Fowler, Amari Cooper, and Damon Harrison get traded, but one move that didn't happen was the Minnesota Vikings dealing linebacker Anthony Barr.
We also heard reports of other players being shopped around, but ultimately their teams couldn't find suitors. That was reportedly the case with Minnesota and Barr.
According to Adam Schefter, the Vikings tried to ship Barr before the deadline passed. Of course, they were unable to move on from him. This offseason likely spells the end for Barr's in tenure in Minnesota.
Head coach Mike Zimmer stated that they'd “love to have him back” but realize there's a chance he doesn't return with the team. Here's the full quote from Zimmer, per 247Sports.
“With (Richardson), it's the same with Anthony Barr, we'd love to have them both back,” Zimmer said during his media availability at the NFL Combine. “The question is where's the market going to go? Can we afford them? If we can afford them, we're going to bring them back. If we can't afford them, we're going to have to move on, unfortunately.”
The NFL can be a tough business, as players have to look out for themselves by trying to land the most lucrative deal possible. Unfortunately, this can come at the expense of one team while benefitting another.
Losing Barr would leave a hole in Minnesota's defense. It would've been interesting to see the Vikings' plan if they did manage to trade him before the deadline.
Barr had a down year in 2018, recording just 55 tackles (a career low). The market for 4-3 outside linebackers isn't huge, but a player with the talent and potential of Barr could command a decent price tag in free agency.
Although they were unsuccessful at trading Barr, the Vikings will probably still be moving on without Barr in the middle of their defense.
