Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has a great track record of getting the most out of his linebackers. After the Vikings selected Anthony Barr with 9th pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Zimmer is certainly excited to get an opportunity to mold Barr into the dynamic playmaker he thinks he can be. Zimmer has never had a linebacker with the size, speed and athleticism of the 6-5 255 pound UCLA product. Barr has extreme potential but he is very raw and still learning the linebacker position. Barr was not used as an off-the-line backer nor was he asked to drop into coverage often.
Anthony Barr had some monster hits and big plays last season, but for the most part he didn’t show up on tape as often as expected. Part of that is because he spent a good chunk of time lined up on the line of scrimmage, sometimes in a three point stance trying to bull rush offensive tackles. Barr is not a strength power player, he is more of a finesse speed guy that will benefit when moved to a more traditional linebacker position.
Barr is a great edge rusher with outstanding closing speed… if he get a little crease to work with, look out. I see Zimmer using Barr’s edge rushing ablitiy in sub packages early on as a strong side linebacker much like how he used James Harrison last season in Cincinnati. Harrison was 35 and coming off back surgery but still play nearly 400 snaps in 10 games. Barr will certainly find his way onto the football field even if it means moving Greenway to WLB. Zimmer typically blitz more from the strongside than the weakside.
In the clips below notice where James Harrison is lined up. These schemes will maximize Barr’s potential early on as he develops more experience and skill as a traditional 4-3 drop back linebacker in the NFL.
I love the #9 pick, and I can’t wait to watch Zimmer shape Barr into a beast in the NFL. The 31st ranked defense just got better.
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A project as the #9 pick? A failed trade to get Manziel? I hope I'm wrong, but so far in this draft...a swing and a miss for Ricky!
Anthony Barr is a smaller project than Manziel.
We got the best QB in the class!
Your opinion...and I hope you are right! I would have took Carr over Bridgewater. I was not impressed with what I saw from Teddy.
10th best qb in the draft
If Teddy Bridgewater is indeed "the best QB in the class" what does it say about Rick Spielman/Norv Turner for obviously preferring Manziel?
And there's the dilemma for Spielman: If Bridgewater busts and Manziel becomes a star, it's another Warren Sapp moment for the franchise. On the other hand, if Bridgewater becomes a good QB and Manziel busts, Spielman can hardly be given or take any credit for Bridgewater since he actually preferred Manziel and was merely lucky enough not to have gotten him. What is more, now that it has become known that Spielman wanted to take Manziel at #9, but it was Zimmer that insisted on grabbing Barr there instead, if Manziel busts and Barr rocks, again, Spielman cannot take any credit for Barr's success being how he was obviously Zimmer's choice.
With that said, here are some intriguing questions:
1) Does this mean that Norv Turner actually preferred Manziel, and how do you then settle for Bridgewater considering they're two entirely different QB's?
2) Why is Spielman & Co. telling us that they decided Bridgewater "was their guy" immediately after conducting private workouts/meetings with him despite it now being known that he tried to trade up for Manziel?
Which ever way you want to cut this, Spielman does not come out looking very good.
The easy, obvious answer is that they weren't targeting Manziel at all. I find it more plausible that there was someone else at 22 the Vikes wanted than JFF, because how do you run the Air Coryell with JFF? And how do you get Zimmer to buy into his 'sideshow'?
The Vikings didn't want JFF, even tho they may have wanted other teams to believe it. I think the Vikes got exactly what they wanted out of the first. Sounds like they had a plan and executed, per Zimmer's "they're all professionals and everyone does their job in there" comment about the war room. If I had to hazard a guess, the Vikings wanted 22 for TB, not JFF.
How do you run the Air Coryell with JFF? How do you run it with BRIDGEWATER!?! Do you know something about his arm strength that no one else knows?
If Spielman wants to deny the reports that he tried to trade up for JFF, he had/has that opportunity. He has not, even though he was more than happy to deny rumors that he tried to trade for Bradford.
I've seen that the trade up was for Teddy. Worried Browns would move up and take him. I guess we'll never know.
Nice first round Slick Rick!!!
I love our first round! When we hired Mike Zimmer I was excited,his prowess as a Defensive coach cannot be questioned,and if he thinks Barr is the guy that can help our defense get better then i'm good with it.Getting the best QB in the draft just topped the night off great.That's 5 first round picks in 2 years and a lot of talent in Viking Purple.
7 first rounds picks in 3 years.
And yet they keep losing, so what does that say?
A new coach, obviously.
How would you like the following players to start building your team around - Kalil as LT, Smith as safety, Floyd as DT, Rhodes as a corner, Patterson as awesome electric football juice, Barr as pass rushing LB, and Teddy as QB. That's a pretty damn solid young core on both sides of the ball.
I'm with you Aussie. Brilliant night!
Where the hell have you been?
Seemed like you and Coach disappeared at the same time. . .hmmmm.
Good to see you back Tomb.
And heck yeah! What a draft!
Well the Seahawks got even for the Harvin trade. Probably gonna cost Ricky his job. I hope. Panic set in again..
Agree Johnny....what did we give up for the trade?
4th round pick
A second and a fourth. Big price to pay for yet another huge reach. Bye Ricky we hardly knew ya.
Rick isn't going anywhere. He did great.
Haha LMFAO. He did great setting the franchise back another three years. Congrads Ricky
Johnny!! Good to see you again, but I'm worried that Freds is going to put you on suicide watch...
Good to see you too Tomb but INMHO this was a stupid move for the Vikes but I guess time will tell. I hope I'm wrong
Sorry Johnny, had to give you a thumbs down on that comment!
I wasn't a huge fan of any of this years QB's but of them all I feared Manziel the most. Glad we passed on him at 9.
Anyhoo, thanks to you and Tomb long absence, I am now the 3rd "Top Commenter"
NANANANANANANA!!
Fran, just do not too comfortable being #3. I am right behind ya.
I see that. I got a lot to say, so look for a WHOLE bunch of posts today.
Vikings got another 5th round pick also.
As understandable as it is to not support a prospect, he's a Viking now and we should never hope a guy on our team is unsuccessful .. You are entitled to be disappointed but Teddy has the most important football skill there is, an ability to read the flow of the opponent and exploit it. That instinct is something they can't teach. Let's hope he's a winner.
I have enough hope to fill the Grand Canyon CM....I just am not crazy about Teddy.
You are correct...I will be rooting for him! He is a Viking now. We will find out about his skills...
Where the hell have you been?
Seemed like you and Coach disappeared at the same time. . .hmmmm.
Good to see you back Tomb.
And heck yeah! What a draft!
Carl, ESPN said Barr will be used as a DE by the VIkings. Do you see the same thing? I am thinking Barr will be used as a edge rusher on some 3-4 schemes. Zimmer likes to mix up his defenses. And I hope Arif is right about Bridgewater, if he is, the Vikings got a good QB.
I hope Arif is right too WTF....if he is he should be hired as a scout or a draft analyst. Immediately. Because All these NFL dudes who get paid were wrong, while he stood staunch about Teddy being way above the others.
Teddy said somebody asked him who is going to draft him, and he said the VIkings. He sounded like he wanted to be a Viking.
Well...he got that right. I'd like to ask him how many Super Bowls he's going to win!
Bet you he wins as many as Tarkenton, Kramer and Culpepper combined.
Lets hope he wins more...cause 0+0+0=0
Zimmer already said at the press conference that he sees Barr as a strongside linebacker according to multiple tweets.
Miss out on Manziel and draft Bridgewater? Can't call myself a Vikings fan anymore... 1998, 2001, 2009 but this is too much.
I didn't want Manziel. I thought he was going to drop out of the first round, but the Browns drafted him.
Bye bye..Good luck as a Browns fan
I love beer, and I love this 1st round. In that order. I think the Vikes drafted very, very well. Huge upside.
I love me some beer Tomb.
I love me some beer, Tomb. I think I would love me a beer tomb as well.
I just happen to be a beer Tomb, and if you ask Mrs. Tomb, they're not all THAT great...=>
I didn't really think of it that way....hmm.
This first round made me miss the 2001, 2000, and 2005 firsts.
Teddy being taken at 32 takes some pressure off of him. If he had been drafted at 9 there would have been a lot more pressure.
Couldn't agree more. Taking him at nine would've pissed me off. At 32, he can sit behind Cassell for a year. I'm way pumped about how this worked out.
This makes no sense. He's still a first-round pick regardless, and if he can't handle the pressure of going #9 then he probably wasn't worth going at #32.
Yes it does.
If Norv wanted Teddy, i'm for it.
Turner is being given to much credit. He couldn't do anything with Drew Brees in San Diego (whereas Sean Payton made Brees a star in Orleans), or Alex Smith in San Francisco (whereas Jim Harbaugh at least made Smith good), drove Phillip Rivers' career into the ditch in San Diego (only to have Mike McCoy and Ken Whisenhunt come in and resuscitate it) and couldn't do a damn thing for Brandon Weeden in Cleveland. Might there be a chance that Turner isn't as good as people think? That is, after all, what you call a "pattern of evidence".
CBS Sports gives the Bortles pick an A plus. Then gives the Bridgewater pick a B minus. WTF
That's what I mean. ARIF...you'd better be right about Teddy. Or you may never land that job.