Rey Maualuga, who has played in the most postseasons by a linebacker in Bengals history, saw his career in Cincinnati end with the signing of Kevin Minter in free agency.
But it was more than an in-and-out in which Maualuga ($3.7 million) and Minter ($4.5 million) basically swapped hits under the salary cap when Maualuga’s contract was terminated in its final season. In the past two weeks the Bengals have younged up their linebacker corps by moving on from two starters in the 30-year-old Maualuga and 35-year-old Karlos Dansby while adding Minter, 26, and putting him in the tentative starting lineup with 23-year-old Nick Vigil.