[sherck]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

@pfrumors 38s39 seconds ago
Colts To Meet With LB Kevin Minter http://www.profootballrumors.com/201...b-kevin-minter …

Solid article by ESPN on Minter

TEMPE, Ariz. – Talk about peaking at the right time.

Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Kevin Minter is coming off the best season of his four-year career, just in time for free agency. He finished the 2016 season with 81 tackles, a career-high 3.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a career-high 5.5 disrupted dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But it was his development as the defense's signal-caller that improved the most since 2013.

“It was just a lot of learning and growing,” Minter said. “Middle linebacker position, you’re the quarterback [of the defense], and like any quarterback you got to learn and develop because you pretty much got to know what everybody’s doing. You got to know, not only your job, but everybody else’s. You got to line everybody up. You got to know all the checks. You got to kind of anticipate what the offense is doing.”

It took Minter years to get to that point, but he’s finally there.

As a rookie in 2013, he learned under Karlos Dansby. In Year 2, he was mentored by Larry Foote. He assumed the starting job in 2015 and blossomed in his role last season, which has allowed him to enter free agency on a career upswing.

“It took me a while to just get stuff down to where I can really be a caller out there, a real leader out there,” Minter said. “I’ll definitely say it’s an upswing. It’s a hell of an upswing.

“Rookie year, my head was swimming, everything was just super fast. And now everything has slowed down. I’m really into this game, so 'upswing' is definitely an understatement.”

Minter would like to continue his upswing in Arizona.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “They groomed me. I’m comfortable here. I love the people here. Really love the community. I would love to be here but it’s not up to me. I’m just going to control what I can control.”

And that’s not free agency. Like the other Cardinals in the 2013 draft class, Minter is experiencing free agency for the first time.

“I’m not necessarily sure how to feel about it,” he said. “I don’t know. It’s a little anxiousness. A little nervousness. Kind of both though. I’m 50/50 on it. I’ve never been in this situation. I’m kinda curious to see how it’s going to play out.”

He is not as good in coverage as I think Hightower, Brown or Hodges would be but he knows the 3-4 defense, could be our defensive QB and would be a good, solid veteran.

He would add stability in the middle and, again, would add another NFL average/good piece to the defense that more and more allows us to pick defensive BPA in each round of the draft.

Cheers,