Vontaze Burfict began the campaign with a suspension, Kevin Minter struggled to find playing time, and Nick Vigil failed to live up to expectations. All three linebackers battled injuries the entire year, and some young prospects were pressed into service.
Depth at linebacker turned out to be crucial to the Bengals’ defense, and it is an area that the Marvin Lewis and Teryl Austin have already tried to address with the signing of Preston Brown.
Cincinnati could still look to add more competition to the position group though, especially with Burfict suspended for the first four games this season.