Vikings coach Mike Zimmer: Good chance Anthony Barr starts Week 1
By Jack Crosby
When Week 1 of the NFL regular season hits this September, there is a chance that a rookie will be starting for the Minnesota Vikings. No, we’re not talking about Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, rather the man that was selected before him in the first round by the Vikings, outside linebacker Anthony Barr.
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When talking to reporters on Friday after practice and asked about the chances that Barr is on the field for the defense when they begin the campaign, head coach Mike Zimmer confirmed that there is a good chance the former UCLA standout will be starting opposite Chad Greenway.
“I would have said that after the first minicamp,” Zimmer told reporters on Friday.
“Anthony has so many good things going for him,” Zimmer said Saturday, via Fox Sports North. “He’s extremely smart. He hardly ever makes the same mistake twice. He takes unbelievable notes and he’s a great athlete. He’s got great size, great speed, great acceleration.
“Now, there are still a lot of things he has to work on, but when he does things right it could be special.”
Barr was one of the more highly rated players coming out of the draft this year and he was projected as one of the rookies that could see the field immediately in.
Apparently, he’s proving people correct in that regard.