Rumor: Dallas Cowboys to Sign Anthony Barr, Poach from Minnesota Vikings Roster

In The Wake of Shaq Leonard Moving to the Philadelphia Eagles, Rumor Has It the Dallas Cowboys Want to Sign Anthony Barr, By Poaching the Linebacker from the Minnesota Vikings Roster

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys' pursuit of Shaq Leonard fell short, in a particularly disturbing way as the free agent linebacker spurned "America's Team'' on Monday to instead sign with the rival Philadelphia Eagles.

That adds some spice to this weekend's "Sunday Night Football'' game at AT&T Stadium, as Leonard - the former three-time Pro Bowler - will be on the other sideline in the NFC East showdown.

As a result of Dallas' flirtation, it's clear the Cowboys desire some linebacker depth due to the season-ending injury loss of Leighton Vander Esch.

Enter - maybe - old pal Anthony Barr.

Barr, 31, is also a former multi-time Pro Bowler, has also spent some time in Philadelphia, and knows the Dallas system well, having played here in 2022.

His job then was as a fill-in and part-time starter (with 10 first-team assignments) as the former Minnesota Vikings star and ninth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft contributed 15 tackles, two fumble recoveries, one sack and eight pressures.

He's now bounced back to Minnesota, three weeks ago having been added to the Vikings practice squad.

"It's been a reunion, I guess you could call it," said Barr, signed "off the couch'' by the Vikings. "It feels great to be back.''

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But the Cowboys - with ex-Dallas scout Bryan Broaddus fueling the rumor - would in theory be inviting him to the roster. At 6-5, 260, he has some attributes that incumbent Dallas starters Markquese Bell and Damone Clark lack.

If Dallas, led by coordinator Dan Quinn's desire, puts in a claim to "poach'' him, the only way the Vikings can combat that is to themselves add him to their own 53-man squad.

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Does this "move the needle''? Or is it more like the recent signing of Rashaad Evans, a one-time first-round pick who is here as a backup? We lean toward the latter ... though we thought much the same of what Leonard was going to accomplish here.

So if Leonard was a good idea? This could be a decent idea.