Following a season where he registered a career-high 122 tackles, the Cincinnati Bengals are expected to part ways with veteran middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, according to a report from Adam Caplan. The 26-year-old linebacker had inconsistent performance over his four seasons, and the emergence of rookie Vontaze Burfict could make him expendable.
Rey Maualuga ‘likely’ to become free agent, according to report
The Bengals could look to part ways with their veteran linebacker, according to one report.
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James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Selected in the second round of the 2009 draft, Maualuga started 60 games for the Bengals over that time period. Flanked at USC by All-Pro's Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews, he was a reliable NFL pro, but never showed the elite top-end talent his teammates did. The 2012 season was his best in the NFL, but showed some of the problems that have plagued him throughout his career. Posting 10-tackle games in five occasions, there were several games where Maualuga failed to make an impact -- registering five tackles or less in another five games.
Parting ways with Maualuga would shake up Mike Zimmer's defense. Caplan reports that the move would likely shift Burflict inside from his current weak-side role. This would make outside linebacker a need in the draft, or through free agency. It's a calculated risk by Cincinnati, but one that keeps one of the NFL's best salary cap situations intact by relying on Burflict on an affordable second-year contract, rather than retaining the veteran.
A February 11th mock from Mocking the Draft had the Bengals selecting Kenny Vaccaro with the 21st overall pick, but with a host of promising linebacker options, it could shake up Cincinnati's first round. Should the Bengals decide to leave Burflict on the outside, it causes Manti Te'o to become a possibility for Cincinnati.
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