Bengals release Rey Maualuga

[CGI_Ram]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/b...r-rey-maualuga-after-signing-his-replacement/

When the Cincinnati Bengals signed former Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter last week, it was not hard to connect the dots and see that Rey Maualuga’s time with the team was nearly up. On Saturday, the Bengals made that theory a reality, officially cutting ties with Maualuga.

The team announced via its official Twitter account that he had been released.

Maualuga was headed into the final year of a contract that was set to pay him approximately $3.7 million during the upcoming season, but none of that money was guaranteed. Releasing him instead tacks that total onto the Bengals’ approximately $22.9 million in cap room, per Spotrac.

Maualuga was Cincinnati’s second-round pick back in 2009, and he started 104 of 128 possible games since that point. A consistent presence in the middle of the defense, he racked up 599 combined tackles, four sacks, seven interceptions, and six passes defensed during his time as a Bengal. His play steeply declined in 2016, and he wound up playing only 34 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. His previous career low was 50 percent, back in his rookie season.

Still just 30 years old, there is likely a place for him elsewhere in the NFL as a sub package linebacker. The Bengals will move forward with Minter, Vontaze Burfict, Vincent Rey, and Nick Vigil as their primary options at the position.

 

[Ram65]

Maualuga and JL55 drafted together in 2009. Neither one had the speed for today's NFL. Lot's of misses in the first round. Clay Mathews drafted at #26 was a good one.

Nice link to get a complete one page draft scroll down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_NFL_Draft
2 35 St. Louis Rams James Laurinaitis LB Ohio State Big Ten
2 36 Cleveland Browns Brian Robiskie WR Ohio State Big Ten
2 37 Denver Broncos Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest ACC from Seattle [R2 - 2]
2 38 Cincinnati Bengals Rey Maualuga LB USC Pac-10

 

[Psycho_X]

I remember there was much debate at the old Rams site some of us came from between drafting Maualuga or Laurinatis. Both were generally solid but not great. I'd call both of them a wash for the most part. Maualuga was better against the run and JL better in coverage. I'd still pick JL over him though. Not sure either will make a team this year if even given a chance.

 

[Snaz]

Yeah I remember wanting Aaron Curry, . Then I wanted Maualuga over Laurinits.
Bad choices all around. :rant: JL was at least good for a while.

 

[Dxmissile]

JL was the best never missed a game played for horrible teams year after year but never complained never became a cancer. His mental game was 2nd to none as a middle linebacker. People never really appreciated him because he wasn't a thumper but he did what his coaches asked him to do and he excelled at it. He was to line up his guys make checks disguise blitz he had to cover the middle of the field and still keep his eyes in the backfield for the running backs. People always said he only made tackles 5 yards down the field but that was his responsibility in our defense at the time and he stopped a lot of runs from becoming 20 yard gains instead of 5

 

[bubbaramfan]

I remember a lot of folks were on the Aaron Curry bandwagon. What did his career look like?

 

[Legatron4]

I remember a lot of folks were on the Aaron Curry bandwagon. What did his career look like?

Hasn't played since 2012. He had 203 career tackles and only played one full season. Pretty much the definition of a bust.

 

[Snaz]

We picked Jason Smith over Aaron Curry, which was touted as the sure thing NFL ready LB ever. Both players failed to live up to expectations. So would have been wrong there too. JL ended up being the best pick for a 4-3 MLB of all.