Bengals signing Kevin Minter

[Housh]

(03-18-2017, 10:53 PM)Socal Bengals fan Wrote: Love the move. Now we will draft Barnette and replace mauluaga n Michael Johnson. Two horrible players.

In MJ case he's not horrible


He's simply mediocre



Good guy coming off a bench. Shouldn't be dominating the snap count like he didn't last year

[wolfkaosaun]

(03-18-2017, 08:07 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Bengals.com now confirms the signing.

When Hobson says they need to make another move to make room for Minter, I hope it's releasing Maualuga.

It better be Maualuga

If they cut Dawson over Maualuga, I'll be beyond mad

[phil413]

(03-18-2017, 10:56 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: It better be Maualuga

If they cut Dawson over Maualuga, I'll be beyond mad

It's him, it has to be a cut financially  not roster spot wise.  No reason for a 2 dowin mlb with Minter here, great signing.

[BenZoo2]

(03-18-2017, 10:49 PM)Housh Wrote: I wanted to gain familiarity with the comp pick system before I said something like this but I did think it lol

Can you even get comp pick off a 1 year guy?

I believe it applies to any ufa a team loses that qualifies for a comp pick regardless of how long they've been with the team

[THE PISTONS]

Profootballtalk had him at #44 on their list of Top 100 free agents...right behind Dre Kirkpatrick.

Minter is solid. Andre Smith is a solid guy on the offensive line. I just wish they were 2-3 year deals.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-18-2017, 08:37 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I've seen a lot of Cards fans calling him an average player. His numbers aren't overly thrilling, either. That said, it's a young guy (26) that has started the last 32 games for a pretty stout defense. Not exactly the most exciting move ever, but solid...for the Bengals.

I'd say he's above average. He's not going to go out and get you 10 sacks.

But above average to average is better than Maualuga who is a run thumping LB in a league that you need LBs with speed to cover passes. That's why a lot of these 35 year old LBs don't work out. They have no speed.

[wolfkaosaun]

(03-18-2017, 11:15 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Profootballtalk had him at #44 on their list of Top 100 free agents...right behind Dre Kirkpatrick.

Minter is solid. Andre Smith is a solid guy on the offensive line. I just wish they were 2-3 year deals.

Smith wasn't good last year and has missed 21 games the past 3 years.

For reference, Tyler Eifert has missed 26 games the past 3 years. And I've seen people against resigning him due to injury issues.

[THE PISTONS]

(03-18-2017, 11:19 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: Smith wasn't good last year and has missed 21 games the past 3 years.

For reference, Tyler Eifert has missed 26 games the past 3 years. And I've seen people against resigning him due to injury issues.

Yep. Health is the big concern with Smith.

We all saw his combine photo. Quite frankly...it will be interesting to see how his body holds up over the years.

[CJD]

Seems like they didn't want to be forced to draft Foster.

Good signing. I remember wanting him when he came out of LSU in 2013.

Is there a reason we signed him to just a one year deal? Is there something wrong with him? If I remember correctly, he started for Arizona the last two years.

[phil413]

(03-19-2017, 12:15 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Seems like they didn't want to be forced to draft Foster.

Good signing. I remember wanting him when he came out of LSU in 2013.

Is there a reason we signed him to just a one year deal? Is there something wrong with him? If I remember correctly, he started for Arizona the last two years.

Could be as simple as him not getting the right deal and betting on himself in a showcase. This also doesn't rule out a LB that can play in the middle with an early pick in say the 2nd or 3rd if they are far and away bpa.

[Shake n Blake]

(03-18-2017, 11:18 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I'd say he's above average. He's not going to go out and get you 10 sacks.

But above average to average is better than Maualuga who is a run thumping LB in a league that you need LBs with speed to cover passes. That's why a lot of these 35 year old LBs don't work out. They have no speed.

I like the move and would like it even more if it led to Maualuga's release and maybe the signing of another  player. I've never been an anti-Maualuga guy, but he fell off a cliff last year.

[NATI BENGALS]

I think it is funny Hobson is hyping Minter up as a big speed addition at LB. He ran a 4.8 at the combine. Sure he isnt a fat slow washed up turd like Maualuga. I know Burfict isnt a speed demon. And Vrey gives 195% effort to run slower than most college LBs. But hyping up a 4.8 40 guy as a speed addition at LB shows how sad we got with 270lbs Maualuga and 54 year old Dansby covering RBs out of the backfield.

[Joelist]

(03-19-2017, 12:52 AM)phil413 Wrote: Could be as simple as him not getting the right deal and betting on himself in a showcase. This also doesn't rule out a LB that can play in the middle with an early pick in say the 2nd or 3rd if they are far and away bpa.

This is a good signing. Only 4.5 million and we get a solid Mike who can actually play on passing downs and for once is not on the tail end of their career. This also ups the overall speed of the defense nicely. 

Having a starting LB unit of Vigil, Minter and Tez is a definite upgrade over last season. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-19-2017, 01:09 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I think it is funny Hobson is hyping Minter up as a big speed addition at LB. He ran a 4.8 at the combine. Sure he isnt a fat slow washed up turd like Maualuga. I know Burfict isnt a speed demon. And Vrey gives 195% effort to run slower than most college LBs. But hyping up a 4.8 40 guy as a speed addition at LB shows how sad we got with 270lbs Maualuga and 54 year old Dansby covering RBs out of the backfield.

Hobspin gonna spin.

[Trademark]

Minter is a stud and was one of the defensive mvp's for the Cards

[JumboTron]

We will see. From what I've seen Minter has the speed to be a sideline-to-sideline LB along with above average coverage ability. I also have no problem with the one year contract. As one poster said, it buys us one more year to figure out what we have at LB while also forcing Minter to play on a "contract year" which will hopefully result in noticeable production for once from a starting LB not named Burfict.

I just hope this signing means that Maualuga is, once and for all, the odd man out.

[phil413]

(03-19-2017, 01:17 AM)Joelist Wrote: This is a good signing. Only 4.5 million and we get a solid Mike who can actually play on passing downs and for once is not on the tail end of their career. This also ups the overall speed of the defense nicely. 

Having a starting LB unit of Vigil, Minter and Tez is a definite upgrade over last season. 

Yea I'm very happy with the upgrade.  Having a motivated young vet trying to earn a long term deal even in Cincy is refreshing.  Yea the average pass defense is welcomed as a big improvement that sets things into place.  You can keep the rotation fresh, and Minter like Tez can make people pay if the DL keeps them clean.  Now they can focus on that line and build the right way on that side of the ball.

[Jpoore]

Is anyone thinking we could have a very scary front 7 in 2017?? Atkins and dunlap getting their 10+ sacks a year as usual, billings and johnson/high round draft pick gettting consistent pressure on the qb, probably a combined 12-15 sacks from them. Then we got mitner playing mlb with his 2-4 sacks per year, Burfict as our WSL getting 2-4 sacks per year, and vigil as our SLB getting 2-4. I see a minimum of 42 sacks this year. Not to mention our lb corp is going to be nice with us actually having range for once. We will also have 2 bonafide leaders on our lb corp. Gonna be great not seeing tight ends wide open 15 yards downfield for once. Top 10 lb corp??

[pledgi]

(03-18-2017, 10:39 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The only downside to this is that it likely means that Rueben Foster won't be our pick. But...we do need to draft a DE and would possibly go after Fournette or even a WR.

I see not picking Foster at number nine as a major upside of this deal.  Foster would be a reach and being kicked out of the combine is a major red flag for me. 

[Judge Dredd]

Kevin Minter
NFL1000 Scores

Pass Defense: 17.8/25
Run Defense: 27.3/35
Pass Rush: 9.9/15
Tackling: 10.7/15
Positional Value: 6/10
Overall: 71.7/100
2016 NFL1000 Inside Linebacker Rank: 21/65

NFL1000 ILB scout Jerod Brown
Kevin Minter is one of the most consistent linebackers in the league, and few people know about him. On an Arizona defense that is loaded with names and talent, Minter is the unsung hero who keeps things together in the middle of the field for the Cardinals. Deone Bucannon receives recognition for being an undersized linebacker—and he's average at best—but Minter is a much better player and has a skill set that can be maximized in Arizona’s aggressive defense.
Minter is a solid tackler and comfortable both in coverage and run support. While his tackle numbers were down from 2015, Minter contributed 3.5 sacks and played all 32 regular-season games for the Cardinals over the last two seasons. At 6’0” and 246 pounds, Minter has the frame to compete as an inside linebacker in a 4-3 or 3-4 and a skill set that is still developing as he enters the prime of his athleticism and NFL career.
Much like Timmons in Pittsburgh, Minter is the steadying source next to a relatively reckless play style from Bucannon. The Arizona defense has explosive playmakers at every level, and Minter remains the piece that shows continuity and consistency in his play style and effect on the game. He’ll never be Luke Kuechly, but, at the right price, he can be a long-term starter who gives the Cardinals financial flexibility at other positions.
Minter is hitting the free-agent market at an excellent time and should be one of the more sought-after players in this group. The Cardinals would be wise to lock him up. If they’re interested in experimenting with bargain players at linebacker, let Bucannon be the bait. Arizona’s aggressive play on defense relies on players like Minter being able to clean up some of the mess that is created.
Given he stays healthy, Minter could remain a starter for at least another five years. While many players on this list are hitting free agency looking for an opportunity to showcase themselves, Minter has two years of solid tape that can be used as leverage in negotiations.

Doug's Quick Take
Minter was an absolute beast of a run-stopper at LSU, and though it took him a while to make that same claim at the NFL level, he's done that over the last couple of seasons. He's limited to run-stopping and pass-rush duties for the most past, as he's not especially quick in space, but he'd be an asset to any 3-4 or hybrid team looking for toughness up the middle.

Potential Suitors: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets