Oakland Raiders: Is Anthony Barr worth a look in free agency?

Linebacker is a position of need for the Oakland Raiders heading into the offseason. Is Anthony Barr worth a look for the Silver and Black?

The Oakland Raiders are in rebuild mode come 2019, but they have plenty of resources to help fill in the holes on both offense and defense. Oakland has a little over $70 million in cap space heading into the offseason alongside a plethora of draft picks that include three in the first round alone.

The Raiders are wise to use both the draft and their cap space to add necessary talent, and not having a suitable linebacker has plagued Oakland for as long as one can remember. In today’s NFL, it’s become close to imperative to have a player that can cover, rush the passer, and effectively stop the run. In some cases it’s not enough to try and fill those needs with rotating bodies, more or less you want a single player that can do all three.

Anthony Barr is among the names heading into free agency, and there’s a likelihood that the Minnesota Vikings will let him walk should he command a hefty price tag from another suitor. The question remains: should the Oakland Raiders be among those suitors willing to dish out the money for Barr’s services?

Let’s take a look at what he brings to the table, some causes for hesitation, and what the Raiders may end up doing.