Kevin Minter appears destined to leave Arizona Cardinals

The inside linebacker is one of the Arizona Cardinals’ many free agents and he’s intimated that he’ll be testing the market

Ask Arizona Cardinals’ management what they think of Kevin Minter and they’d probably tell you they want him back next season. After all, the 26-year old free agent has done a solid job at inside linebacker, starting all 32 games over the last two years.

Ask the club’s fans about Minter and they’d likely be split down the middle. Most would probably agree that an upgrade at his position would be warranted. Those who feel that way may be getting their wish.

The LSU product has indicated he’d like to remain in the desert. But, in the same breath, he admitted he’d like to gauge what his value would be around the NFL. In other words, Minter’s agent will be working the phones once the bargaining period commences.

Minter mentioned by name the New York Jets as a possible post-Arizona destination. Such a move would reunite him with Todd Bowles, the Cards’ former defensive coordinator. There is a job opening currently in the “Big Apple ” thanks to the recent release of veteran ‘backer Erin Henderson.

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Where would that leave the Cardinals? They would probably go the free agent route to find a replacement for Minter. It isn’t a particularly strong crop of free agent inside linebackers this offseason, but the field isn’t barren either.

A late addition to the 2016 Cards, Sio Moore, did a fine job in the short time he was there. Like Minter, he’s also an unrestricted free agent. As a Cardinal, Moore was a tackling machine, registering 35 in his four games with Big Red.

There are other worthwhile candidates on the market. Pittsburgh Steelers’ mainstay Lawrence Timmons is coming off of an impressive campaign in ’16. The 30-year old tallied 114 tackles, two and a half sacks, five pass breakups and two interceptions in 16 games.

Gerald Hodges of the San Francisco 49ers finished 2016 with 83 tackles, three sacks, two passes defensed, two picks and a forced fumble. His play-making ability would be a nice addition to Arizona’s already impressive linebacker group.

Other possibilities include Korey Toomer, D’Qwell Jackson, Will Compton, Manti Te’o and Sean Spence. Decent players, but none are really star-material. The same could be said about Minter actually, so it will be interesting to see how his situation pans out.