3 Cowboys contracts we were happy to see end, 2 we’re eager to see expire

Cowboys contract we were happy to see end: Anthony Barr, LB

For years, the Minnesota Vikings had one of the better defenses in the NFL and the Cowboys understood why. Mike Zimmer was their head coach and he spent 13 seasons coaching in Dallas previously. He held multiple roles with the team from 1994 through 2006 including serving as the defensive coordinator from 2000 through 2006.

Zimmer then spent eight seasons coaching the Vikings, so it was natural for Dallas to have kept an eye on players from that organization. But they probably shouldn't be doing this in the future since it's rarely worked out.

Everson Griffen, for example, was signed in 2020 and the Cowboys traded him to Detroit after just seven games that season. He did return to the Vikings for one more year before retiring and played well in nine games but was clearly a poor fit in Dallas.

The same can be said of Anthony Barr, their latest signing from the Vikings' impressive defense. Barr played in 14 games this season with 10 starts and had 58 tackles and a sack. The numbers weren't terrible but he was given a 59.7 grade by PFF and was a liability in coverage.

Barr, who turned 30 last year, simply wasn't the same player in Dallas and it wasn't upsetting to see his one-year deal come to an end.