One perfect free agency signing for each NFL team

Cincinnati Bengals – Anthony Barr

It’s time for the Bengals to turn the page on a number of players they’ve invested serious trust in. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict is clearly a guy the franchise cannot afford to rely on. The trouble is that he’s the most talented linebacker on the Cincinnati roster at the moment.

Prying Barr away from the Vikings would change that in an instant. He’s not a perfect linebacker due to his struggles to rush the passer, but he does almost everything else well. He’d give the Bengals a really solid player to build their defense around for years to come.

Based on ability, you’d expect Minnesota to make a strong bid to re-sign him. Remember, the Kirk Cousins mega contract puts the Vikings in a really tough financial spot. They’re going to need to let some quality players leave to keep their payroll under control. Barr looks like a likely casualty.

He’ll have lot of suitors on the open market, but the Bengals are one of a handful of teams that can make him the unquestioned leader of their linebacking corps. That’s something that will appeal to Barr’s personality and physical gifts. He’s a perfect match for the Bengals current roster.