Anthony Barr is heading into a contract season with the Minnesota Vikings as the two sides look to potentially work towards a new deal and it appears that a new wrinkle is being added to what they could do with the linebacker this year. During Wednesday's minicamp practice in Eagan, Barr was getting some snaps up front as an end with the team looking to utilize and unlock some more of his pass rushing skill-set.

Coming out of UCLA in the 2014 NFL Draft, the former ninth overall pick was believed to have some of the best pure pass rushing potential in his class. However, he has spent most of his time at strong-side linebacker in Mike Zimmer's 4-3 defense with the Vikings and has only 10.5 career sacks in five seasons. Because one of the factor's in his fifth-year option that pays him $12 million this season has to do with lumping him in with talents like Von Miller, it makes sense that they would try to give him more reps coming off the edge to see if he can realize that potential.

"A highly disruptive, athletic specimen with the pass-rush potential to effortlessly emerge as a double-digit sack producer," NFL.com wrote in his college profile heading into the 2014 draft. "Is far from a finished product and his best football is still ahead of him, yet he plays the game with more of an offensive temperament and could require some patience. Is the type of rare athlete that could even contribute as an offensive playmaker once he learns to grasp defensive concepts and the game slows down for him."

Barr's camp can also argue that his pass rush ability is a reason why he should receive a big-time payday from the Vikings organization. Instead of scoffing at such a claim, the coaching staff looks like they are going to experiment and see what he could do on the defensive line, which could actually wind up boosting their depth in the end rotation.

That the Vikings have not toyed with the idea until his fifth year in the league could be a bit strange, but it is a positive sign to see them being open minded in minicamp just to get a feel for some different things they could do. It is the same reason that giving 39-year-old cornerback Terence Newman some run at safety is not the worst idea in the world. What we are seeing here is a team that is looking to maximize its depth in order to adapt and upgrade itself after getting close to a Super Bowl berth in 2017.

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Barr is one of the Vikings' big-name free agents coming up for the 2019 season that will be seeking a new contract from the team, along with wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Danielle Hunter. All are expected to receive big deals that pay them tens of millions of dollars in total money over the duration of their contracts, which has created some admitted pressure for the team's resident salary camp guru in Rob Brzezinski.

“I would be lying if I said you don’t feel some pressure,” Brzezinski said earlier this month, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “You want to be able to keep this team together and keep all your best players.”

Whether or not it is fiscally possible to bring all of these players back remains to be seen. The most recent extension that the team signed was in the form of linebacker Eric Kendricks, who agreed to a five-year deal worth a total of $50 million. Barr's contract is expected to look similar, if not potentially surpass that. His contract negotiations could wind up being complicated with the arguments over what his true market value is and the difference between a 4-3 or 3-4 style of linebacker. A hybrid role in this defense could certainly wind up boosting his market value.