Die Anpflanzler [DA] » The Minnesota Vikings have kept the heart of t

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —heir defense intact with a hefty commitment to linebacker Anthony Barr.For the four-time Pro Bowl pick Ben Gedeon Jersey , a late offer to stay with the only NFL team he’s played for proved too valuable to pass up.According to a person with direct knowledge of the deal, Barr agreed Tuesday to re-sign with the Vikings on a five-year, $67.5 million contract with $33 million guaranteed and more money available through escalators. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced by the Vikings, who had until the beginning of the new league year Wednesday to clear the necessary space for Barr’s contract to fit under the salary cap.Barr first made a verbal agreement to join the New York Jets, according to reports by ESPN and the NFL Network, but he ultimately changed his mind to remain with the team that drafted him ninth overall in 2014.In an Instagram post Tuesday night, Barr confirmed his decision and thanked the Vikings ownership, executives and coaches for the opportunity to return .“It’s been a crazy couple days, but I’m where I want to be,” Barr said. “I believe in our locker room. I love my guys! Back to work!”The Vikings landed quarterback Kirk Cousins last season, despite a larger offer from the Jets. Fifteen years ago, at the persistence of then-coach Mike Tice and his friend’s private plane, the Vikings persuaded cornerback Antoine Winfield to abandon his visit to the Jets and sign with Minnesota instead.Barr was the first draft pick by the Vikings under coach Mike Zimmer http://www.thevikingslockerroom.com/authentic-mackensie-alexander-jersey , whose 4-3 base defense has been a natural fit for the sleek, 6-foot-5, 255-pound Barr . The variety of assignments the scheme has put him in at the strong side spot have minimized pass-rushing opportunities, though, and limited his career total to 13½ sacks.He took some turns at defensive end last season and spoke often of a preference to run forward, not backward in coverage, raising the possibility he’d seek a new team with a 3-4 system. Though Zimmer has repeatedly praised Barr over the last five years, the coach bluntly stated in 2016 that Barr “has a tendency to coast a little bit.” Whether the reason was effort or scheme, the Vikings have had their share of games when Barr’s presence went largely unnoticed. When the Vikings gave new deals last summer to wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Danielle Hunter but didn’t reach an extension with Barr, the likelihood he would leave only increased.But Barr’s primary agent, Brian Murphy of the Southern California-based Athletes First firm, has built a strong relationship over recent years with Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and executive vice president for football operations Rob Brzezinski through negotiations on previous megadeals for defensive end Everson Griffen, tight end Kyle Rudolph and safety Harrison Smith. Murphy also represents cornerback Trae Waynes Womens Adam Thielen Jersey , who has entered the final year of his rookie contract.The Vikings entered the offseason with little cap space, after spending big on Cousins, Diggs and Hunter in 2018. They jettisoned two players, guard Mike Remmers and safety Andrew Sendejo , for more room. Another starter, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, reached an agreement with the Cleveland Browns. He’ll likely be replaced by Shamar Stephen, who according to multiple reports has agreed to return to the Vikings, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2014. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of work left just to make the playoffs before the championship chase even comes back into the conversation.The Vikings face daunting back-to-back road games against New England and Seattle, with the every-four-years matchup against five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the Patriots up this Sunday afternoon and a Monday night meeting with the surging Seahawks in their deafening stadium on deck for Dec. 10.The load, though, is a lot lighter after beating the rival Green Bay Packers 24-17 on Sunday night.“Winning’s not easy. It takes so much effort. It takes a lot of practice and time and energy,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said. “When you win Mike Remmers Jersey , it feels good.”The complete performance, though not without blemishes, was especially rewarding given the way the Vikings played at Chicago on Nov. 18 in the 25-20 defeat that gave the Bears a firm hold on the NFC North .“That loss in Chicago hurt, and I know a lot of the guys felt that way,” coach Mike Zimmer saidMonday. “I know that they were concerned about the future schedule going on, but we had to focus on one game.”The Vikings (6-4-1), who trail in the division race by 1½ games and finish the season with a rematch against the Bears at home on Dec. 30, moved into the first NFC wild-card spot. The problem is there are four teams tied at 6-5, with one of those slots to go to the NFC East winner. With the difficulty of these next two games, the Vikings could very well fall below the cut and have to win their way back in over the last three weeks.If they can collectively play as well against the Patriots and Seahawks as they did against the depleted Packers, though, they’ll give themselves a good chance to stay on a winning streak. The defense will be tested anew by Brady, but Zimmer said the hamstring injury suffered by cornerback Xavier Rhodes was “very http://www.thevikingslockerroom.com/authentic-marcus-sherels-jersey , very mild,” an encouraging development for the pass coverage.The offense, of course, was under the most pressure after that dud against the Bears and their fierce defense. Dalvin Cook made more of an impact, scoring his first touchdown of the season on the kind of basic screen pass that has been largely missing from the game plan. Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo sent more running plays to the perimeter, where there was more space to operate. The blockers up front had one of their best games of the year in protecting Kirk Cousins, who came through with three touchdown passes without a turnover.“When you hold the football in your hands, you hold the livelihoods of a lot of people in that building and their families,” Cousins said. “It has to matter to us. One coach told me many times, ‘Ball security is job security, yours and mine.'”Cousins showed more willingness to run with the ball, too, on the handful of occasions the pocket collapsed and nobody was open. Zimmer encouraged him to do so in a wide-ranging conversation last week Womens Brian O'Neill Jersey , after Cousins threw two interceptions against the Bears in a performance that was his worst with the Vikings.“I just want to play well for these guys, not just for coach Zimmer, but for our staff. They work so hard. They deserve a lot of respect and recognition, and then certainly our locker room. I just feel so good about our team, and I said that to them in pregame. I like us. I like our guys,” Cousins said after the game Sunday night. “Unfortunately, just being a great group of guys doesn’t mean you get wins handed to you, but we had to go out and earn tonight.”