Colts meeting with ILB Kevin Minter (Merge)

[stitches]

 

[Archer]

Woo-hoo!

[The Peytonator]

Hell yes 

[corgi]

I need to watch some of his highlights, I know several members on here whose judgment I trust seem to really like him. 

[Defjamz26]

Would lessen the need for ILB. Could look to take one round 2.

[csmopar]

another LB.... Interesting.  

[PrincetonTiger]

I need to check his stats

[CR91]

Perfect now just bring brown and our LBer Corp is set

[PrincetonTiger]

This could be a nice pickup

[Jason_]

anyone happen to see a date for the meeting?  is it happening today?  I'd really like to see this one get done

[shasta519]

I am cool with Minter...as long as Brown is also coming. If the Colts sign Minter and Brown signs elsewhere for something similar, I am going to be very disappointed.

 

Brown is far more athletic, has more production and is better in pass coverage. He is exactly what this team needs. 

[SaturdayAllDay]

Im so torn on minter. He has a lot of upside, but an ILB with tackling issues makes ne nervous. We have enough issues with tackling on this team. 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

Honestly, don't know about him.

Why don't the Cards want him back?

PFF has him rated as 25th bast LB last season.

[ColtsStrong86]

Per La Canfora.

 

 

[MPStack]

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription), Minter was their 25th best rated linebacker with a +81.0 grade overall–including a +81.3 grade in pass coverage.

[BlueCollarColts]

Sounds like Minter is a pretty solid starter right? Would definitely fill a need at LB.

[SaturdayAllDay]

Just now, LJpalmbeacher said:

Honestly, don't know about him.

Why don't the Cards want him back?

PFF has him rated as 25th bast LB last season.

He was good in coverage in 2016, but terrible every year before. Either it finally clicked for him or it was an outlying season. The fact that arizona is steering clear of him worries me on that front. He also had 20 missed tackles last season.

 

All in all, I think there are better options out there (Hightower, Brown, Hodges) but overall he isnt a terrible prospect. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

This would be a good signing. I hope it gets done. Ballard is basically trying to re-tool the Defense by getting younger and signing several good players instead of just 1 great player. I would still like to see us land Poe or Hankins, that would be our 1 big slash.

[shasta519]

2 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher said:

Honestly, don't know about him.

Why don't the Cards want him back?

PFF has him rated as 25th bast LB last season.

 

Because he is a bit undersized but not very athletic. He will be an upgrade over what we have, but he is still a liability in pass coverage and struggle in run defense at times. I am not overly excited about him. Seems a lot like a rich man's Edwin Jackson (or a poor man's DJax if you prefer).

 

He is an improvement over the status quo, sure, but not a move that drastically improves the defense. Now, if you paired him with Zach Brown...then we would be getting somewhere. 

[Barry Sears]

Like this news...he may be a bit cheaper than he would have been last week?

[jameszeigler834]

20 minutes ago, corgi said:

I need to watch some of his highlights, I know several members on here whose judgment I trust seem to really like him. 

I like Zach Brown better I liked brown last year in FA but we never even looked at him.

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Yessir!

[ColtsStrong86]

Agreed. I like Ballard's approach of bringing young guys in. I think Mitner could do good things here.

[shasta519]

2 minutes ago, SaturdayAllDay said:

He was good in coverage in 2016, but terrible every year before. Either it finally clicked for him or it was an outlying season. The fact that arizona is steering clear of him worries me on that front. He also had 20 missed tackles last season.

 

All in all, I think there are better options out there (Hightower, Brown, Hodges) but overall he isnt a terrible prospect. 

 

Agree. Unlike the OLB FAs, the ILB FA group is deep...and all of them are still available...which means they might be undervalued. No need to sign a lesser FA like Minter until they know they can't get Brown or Hightower. 

[BlueCollarColts]

4 minutes ago, shastamasta said:

 

Because he is a bit undersized but not very athletic. He will be an upgrade over what we have, but he is still a liability in pass coverage and struggle in run defense at times. I am not overly excited about him. Seems a lot like a rich man's Edwin Jackson (or a poor man's DJax if you prefer).

 

He is an improvement over the status quo, sure, but not a move that drastically improves the defense. Now, if you paired him with Zach Brown...then we would be getting somewhere. 

Doesn't sound like he was a liability in pass coverage last season.

[shasta519]

2 minutes ago, jameszeigler834 said:

I like Zach Brown better I liked brown last year in FA but we never even looked at him.

 

I wanted Brown bad last year. An ILB that ran a 4.5 40 and can cover the pass. Everybody's drooling over Reddick in the draft...that's basically what Brown is (aside from pass rushing).

[shasta519]

1 minute ago, BlueCollarColts said:

Doesn't sound like he was a liability in pass coverage last season.

 

I take what PFF says with a grain of salt. He was better than he had been before, but it's not his strength...and the Colts need someone that can excel in this area. 

[throwing BBZ]

 Some thoughts by Cardinal fans.
 He sounds like DQ.

therealoriginalFitzIsMyHero • 3 days ago

Hes a good tackler. He really struggles in pass coverage. He struggled at blitzing up until garbage time this last season when we were no longer in contention for the post season. He has quite a way to go in his game. He might be a good 2nd stringer ILB at best! He can't shed blocks or push blocks into the running lanes to blow up running plays. Let me know if he starts for another team. I'd be really surprised.
 

Ford Williams • 3 days ago

I was surprised when the Cards drafted him and he didn't start. He was like a deer in the headlights trying to fill Larry Foote's shoes. How many times did we hear that the tight end is not defended down seam? How many times did running backs break free for 30 yards right through his area of responsibility. I just wish the Cards could have drafted a linebacker for depth last year.

 

[jameszeigler834]

3 minutes ago, shastamasta said:

 

I wanted Brown bad last year. An ILB that ran a 4.5 40 and can cover the pass. Everybody's drooling over Reddick in the draft...that's basically what Brown is (aside from pass rushing).

I agree and I still want Brown.

[richard pallo]

Perfect pick up.  He is visiting today. I've liked him all along.  Has started for two straight years.  Very solid and another young addition.

[jameszeigler834]

Just now, jameszeigler834 said:

I agree and I still want Brown.

I don't believe Minter is that great 20 missed tackles in 2016 we had more than enough missed tackles last season no thank you to him.

[richard pallo]

23 minutes ago, Jason_S said:

anyone happen to see a date for the meeting?  is it happening today?  I'd really like to see this one get done

Today.

[dgambill]

Would be great to land hm....just keep checking boxes Chris! He isn't going to be a pro bowler but he can command the defense and allow us to groom a rookie. Definitely better in coverage than either the two we have right now. Arizona is cap strapped...they had to make decisions on who to keep and who to let go. With a deep lb draft this year they elected to replace through the draft or a lesser FA. He isn't Zack Brown but I think he is LB that is getting better (putting it together). Seems like LSU guys come into the league a little more raw then say the Alabama guys but man they have all the same athleticism etc. This would be another step in allowing Ballard to go BPA in RD 1. Checking boxes.

[Jdubu]

I like Minter a lot. He is a being your lunch kinda guy. 

[Douzer]

6'. 246. MLB for Arizona. 

2nd rd pick in 2014 out of LSU

Is that the guy? 

[richard pallo]

19 minutes ago, MPStack said:

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription), Minter was their 25th best rated linebacker with a +81.0 grade overall–including a +81.3 grade in pass coverage.

That's pretty good when you think about it and do the math!

[PrincetonTiger]

2 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

Today.

Thanks for the info

[BlueCollarColts]

For those saying last season may have been an outlier, he just turned 26, so hopefully he's just improved his game versus where he was at when he was 23/24.

 

Also, I love the trend from Ballard, he's going after the young guys for sure.

[csmopar]

1 minute ago, BlueCollarColts said:

For those saying last season may have been an outlier, he just turned 26, so hopefully he's just improved his game versus where he was at when he was 23/24.

 

Also, I love the trend from Ballard, he's going after the young guys for sure.

kind of comical if you think about it.  going from one of the oldest to one of the youngest in a single off season.

[lollygagger8]

10 minutes ago, Douzer said:

6'. 246. MLB for Arizona. 

2nd rd pick in 2013 out of LSU

Is that the guy? 

 

Fixed, but yes that's the guy. 

 

He's supposed to be better in coverage, but has a tendency to miss tackles. 

 

^which I guess is better than our LB's who couldn't cover and got swallowed up by blocks^