Vikings decision to pay Danielle Hunter could be bad for Anthony Barr

At some point, the Minnesota Vikings are going to run out of money. Their decision to re-sign Danielle Hunter may ultimately cost them Anthony Barr.

Minnesota Vikings fans celebrating the team’s recent agreement with Danielle Hunter need to stop and consider the deal’s repercussions. It’s very possible Hunter’s new contract is going to cost Minnesota one of their other talented defenders.

The reality of the team’s decision to hand Kirk Cousins a historically large contract means some other players will have to search for their paydays somewhere else.

Various reports claim the Vikings entered the summer with grand designs on re-signing Hunter, Stephon Diggs and Anthony Barr.

Handing Hunter a five-year deal with $40 million in guarantees is going to keep him in the fold, but it likely means the Vikings will have to choose between Diggs and Barr.

If Minnesota is ultimately faced with that choice, they will almost certainly select Diggs. He is certainly the more dynamic of the two players. He caught 64 passes for 849 yards last season despite the team’s conservative offense.

The team, predictably, expects him to have a career season with Cousins at the controls.

Barr is also a very important member of the team. His presence at linebacker for the Vikings’ excellent defense has been crucial for the unit’s success. He makes a boatload of tackles for the team, but he doesn’t make enough explosive plays to become a real star at the position.

Barr’s never had more than four sacks in a single season and he only has one career interception. He makes all of the routine plays, but he isn’t changing the game for the Vikings defense.

That lack of explosive plays is what may ultimately force him to look elsewhere for employment. The Vikings front office would love to keep him around, but they’re not going to pay him like the star he and his representatives believe he is.

Perhaps more importantly, Barr will find another team who are willing to give him a big deal.

Next: Anthony Barr puts pressure on the Vikings to make a deal

The Vikings will continue to do everything they can to keep as many of their stars as possible. At some point, one of their big name players is going to pay the price for Cousins’ contract. Expect Anthony Barr to be the first big piece they lose because of their new signal caller.