Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Nearly five years ago and just four months into Mike Zimmer’s role as Minnesota’s head coach, the Vikings drafted linebacker Anthony Barr out of UCLA.
And with the 2019 NFL Draft just around the corner, Zimmer is thrilled that Barr is staying with the team that originally selected him ninth overall in 2014.
Zimmer, along with others, anticipated that Barr likely would be a casualty of free agency this spring – and he nearly was. The 27-year-old initially had a verbal commitment with the Jets but quickly realized that he needed to “follow his heart” and decided instead to return to Minnesota.
Zimmer spoke to media members while at the NFL’s Annual League Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona, and reflected candidly on Barr remaining with the team.
“It was really good,” he said of Barr’s decision to say. “It was kind of like, ‘Wow, we kept one of our good guys’ and kind of refreshing. It was exciting.”
When asked about the process leading up to re-signing one of their top defenders, Zimmer explained that the Vikings had assured Barr they wanted him and would “try to work something out,” but the head coach still understood Barr testing the waters of free agency.
“We knew he was going to get more than we could pay him,” Zimmer said. “So it just shows his loyalty, what he thinks about ownership and the team and the organization. It’s very rare that guys do that.”