The arrival of the Minnesota Vikings in Mankato for training camp marked what many die-hards consider the start of the 2015 NFL season. Players were met by swarms of media members and hoards of purple faithful.
One player that actually said something of significance upon arrival was second-year linebacker Anthony Barr who had his impressive rookie season submarined by a knee injury.
Barr told reporters that he is “just about” at 100% health, but will probably ease his way into the training camp activities just to play it safe.
Barr projects to be a centerpiece in Mike Zimmer’s defense for years to come and the hopes are high as enters his sophomore season.
As a rookie, Barr appeared in 12 games and was credited with 70 tackles. He also had four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three batted passes, and a beautiful, marvelous touchdown.
This year, Barr will potentially be starting next to college teammate Eric Kendricks who was drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
“[Eric is] very smart, physical, hard-working, a natural leader,” Barr of being reunited with Kendricks back in May. “He’s going to do great things for us. I couldn’t be happier.”