According to CBS Sports Jason La Canfora, the Indianapolis Colts are set to meet with Arizona Cardinals free agent inside linebacker Kevin Minter.
The 26 year old is coming off a season with the Arizona Cardinals in which he started all 16 games, recording 81 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 passes defensed:
Free agent linebacker Kevin Minter is taking a visit to Indy. Will meet with the Colts
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 13, 2017
Originally a 2013 2nd round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, the 6’0″, 246 pound inside linebacker has 175 total tackles, 5.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 6 passes defensed in 61 career games (37 starts) in his first four seasons.
Earlier this offseason, we listed Minter as one of our ‘Top 7 under-the-radar free agents’ for the Colts to consider, as he’s one of the best inside linebackers on the open market:
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.
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Of course, the Colts could use help at starting inside linebacker, where Indianapolis has two young inside linebackers: Edwin Jackson and Antonio Morrison, who don’t necessarily instill a ton of confidence going forward.
The Colts struggled replacing Jerrell Freeman a season ago and recently released longtime veteran D’Qwell Jackson–meaning the defense could sorely use a proven player at the starting inside linebacker position in 2017.