Vikings Message Board.Com

He's obviously best suited as a 3-4 OLB so how exactly will the Vikings use him? Will we institute him as a 4-3 OLB in a hybrid blitz or drop role? Play him traditional 4-3 OLB and put his hand in the ground ears back on passing downs? Or line him up as a RDE full time?

I'm wondering the same thing. Can he play in space in a more traditional 4-3 linebacking role? How well does he move laterally, how well does he fending off blocking fullbacks and TEs and guards on running plays? How will he do in coverage? All I've heard is blitz, blitz, blitz. You can only blitz so often as a LB.

So that goes to tell me they're just as confused as us how they'll use him! Haha. I'd like to think he'd be used as a blitz happy sam LB that puts his hand in the dirt on passing downs.

From the video I've seen of him in college, he seldom rushed out of a stance. I don't think the Vikings are confused about how to use him, but he may not have landed in the best place for him given his skill set.

Eli wrote:From the video I've seen of him in college, he seldom rushed out of a stance. I don't think the Vikings are confused about how to use him, but he may not have landed in the best place for him given his skill set.

Because of Zimmer's tendencies?

I don't think Vikes drafted him to be a covering receivers/tight ends/running backs or plugging running lanes. He's clearly a pass rusher. Just wondering how they will use his pass rush.

Zimmer says he has 3 different spots he's pegged him at right now. He'll likely be utilized in a rover-type role similar to a Von Miller. I don't really think the scheme needs to change much, Zimmer has utilized a blitzing SAM linebacker in the past. He probably won't know for sure until he can actually see how Barr does in his defense where he'll fit best.

If I were Zimmer, I would have Barr as the weak-side base blitzer, Greenway the base strong-side, and Mauti/Cole/Brinkley as the base Mike. In nickel, I would kick out Greenway and Mauti/Cole/Brinkley and put in Gerald Hodges at strong side and keep Barr as the weak-side blitzer.


I am really curious to see how it all pans out. Personally, if we had a base set of Barr, Hodges, and Greenway (at MIKE), I would be ecstatic.

HardcoreVikesFan wrote:If I were Zimmer, I would have Barr as the weak-side base blitzer, Greenway the base strong-side, and Mauti/Cole/Brinkley as the base Mike. In nickel, I would kick out Greenway and Mauti/Cole/Brinkley and put in Gerald Hodges at strong side and keep Barr as the weak-side blitzer.


I am really curious to see how it all pans out. Personally, if we had a base set of Barr, Hodges, and Greenway (at MIKE), I would be ecstatic.

From what zimmer has said I think that Barr will play on the strong side and Greenway will play on the weak side, with either Brinkley/Cole/Mauti playing the mike.

Unless we're switching to a 3-4 defense, I don't see how Barr fits in a 4-3 scheme. He looks like your prototypical 3-4 OLB.

The link below discusses the Denver Broncos defense which while not Identical will have a lot of similarities to our defense next year. They run a 4-3 also and the easiest way to explain what Barr will do is to look at what Von Miller does.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_21672566/b ... cheme-pass

Loki wrote:The link below discusses the Denver Broncos defense which while not Identical will have a lot of similarities to our defense next year. They run a 4-3 also and the easiest way to explain what Barr will do is to look at what Von Miller does.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_21672566/b ... cheme-pass

Interesting read. Basically, it sounds like Von Miller typically drops into the DE position, with either two or three LBs behind him. I guess you could think of that as looking like a 3-4, but it sounds like he just displaces one of the DEs, or else they line up with Miller with another two DEs and one DT, which was essentially the look the Vikings use a lot last year with Everson Griffen rushing from inside.

This suggests that either the Vikings might often field three additional LBs even when Barr is on the field, or else will play a nickel with five DBs and two LBs behind him. The latter, in the Denver scheme, though, works because they often move a safety up to play LB. I'm not sure the Vikings have that much talent at either LB or S to provide them with that kind of flexibility. If they do, it's sure going to be interesting.

All of the above suggest that Barr would be much more of a DE than a linebacker.

The Vikings could use him as DE/LB. Which is what the previous staff have been trying to do with Everson Griffen. Zimmer has already said he has plugged Barr into 3 spots. I assume DE and LB with both be in that plan. Seeing as Zimmer likes to switch up the defensive rotation. What a way to confuse defense when you switch Barr around. If they can get more productivity from Griffen as a LB, switching him and Barr back and forth between positions would be deadly.

I see a lot of 4-2 in our future, and I'm guessing he'd be one of the DEs.

Slick Rick wrote:I see a lot of 4-2 in our future, and I'm guessing he'd be one of the DEs.

Kicking either Robison or Griffen off the field? It still sounds as though Joseph and Floyd would be in the middle most of the time.

I'm just not seeing it, unless the draft strategy was to take the BPA and they couldn't let themselves pass up Barr. Damn the need for real linebackers and defensive backs.