While the run-stuffing Minter is adequate would the Arizona Cardinals’ linebacking corps be better off with someone else?
Kevin Minter is by no means bad at his craft. In a nutshell he’s real good defending the run and not so good defending the pass.
The Cards stood by during the free agency period, not even scheduling a visit for an inside linebacker. Some good names were available, Jerrell Freeman, Danny Trevathan, Derrick Johnson and former Cardinal Karlos Dansby to name a few.
Next came the draft and once again the position was ignored. The Cards drafted six players, none of which were linebackers.
So the obvious assumption one would make is that the front office is happy with the position. The other part of the starting ILB tandem is converted safety Deone Bucannon, an experiment that up to this point looks brilliant.
Besides the starters the depth is lacking to say the least. Alani Fua probably has the most potential but he’s played very few snaps. Gabe Martin, Quayshawn Nealy and Lamar Louis round out the position.
As far as remaining free agents still available the list isn’t long but there are a few. Here are some options :
Donald Butler – After signing a big money contract with the San Diego Chargers, Butler was released after a sub-par season. There were rumblings that he actually quit on the team and that may be a reason he’s still available. Butler has had success on the field though and at only 27 may have some good football still ahead of him.
A.J. Hawk- After a fine career with the Green Bay Packers, Hawk failed to impress last season with Cincinnati Bengals. What went wrong isn’t exactly known, maybe at 32 Hawk is just a shot commodity. But considering the Cards’ lack of depth at the position maybe a training camp look-see wouldn’t be a bad thing for both player and team.
Curtis Lofton – It’s kind of surprising that to this point that Lofton hasn’t been signed. He was a tackling machine in stints with both the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints before having a so-so year with the Oakland Raiders last season. He’s coming off of knee and ankle surgeries but neither appeared to be serious.
David Hawthorne – Hawthorne is a carbon copy of Minter , good against the run but a liability in coverage. He’s also six years older so at this point in his career he’s more than likely just a backup.
So the question is whether Minter should be starting for this very good Cardinals defense. Whether any of the above should be starting over Minter is debatable the lack of depth at the position says they’re one injury away from a very big problem. And for that reason alone one of these veterans should be signed as insurance.