New York Giants: Kevin Minter should be on James Bettcher’s radar
Free agency hasn’t begun just yet, but Kevin Minter is the perfect player available to help the New York Giants smoothly transition to James Bettcher’s 3-4 defense.
New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur wasted no time putting his staff together, signing Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher for the same position in New York. It’s a fantastic signing when you look at Bettcher’s excellent track record as a coordinator. In his three years in Arizona calling defensive plays, Bettcher’s defenses finished fifth, second and sixth in yards allowed. Those are pretty impressive numbers, but Bettcher will have to deal with some serious growing pains when he starts.
Bettcher will bring his 3-4 defensive scheme with him to New York, which puts the Giants in a tricky situation. Sure, part of the problem is the Giants’ defense is currently built specifically for a 4-3 scheme, but there are players on the roster that either have experience with a 3-4 scheme or the skill set to succeed in the new system.
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However, the biggest issue is that a 3-4 system puts a lot of responsibility of the middle linebackers. Thanks to former general manager Jerry Reese’s constant disregard for the linebacker position, the Giants lack both the skill and depth at linebacker to effectively run Bettcher’s defense. If the Giants want to ease the transition, one of the first signings the team should make is free agent linebacker Kevin Minter.
Minter is coming off an injury-shortened down year with the Cincinnati Bengals, but there’s a lot to like about him when you take a closer look. The LSU product is a linebacker that excels in pass coverage and is an absolute thumper against the run. Now, I can go on and on about how great a player he is and how he was one of the best linebackers in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, but what makes Minter really valuable is his familiarity with both Bettcher and his scheme.
Before signing with the Bengals last offseason, Minter spent the first four years of his career in Arizona where he worked exclusively with the Giants’ new defensive coordinator. Bettcher, who served as the Cards’ linebacker’s coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator, had a huge hand in Minter’s development and it paid off in a big way. Minter absolutely flourished playing in Bettcher’s scheme, starting all 34 games at middle linebacker while recording 3 ½ sacks and 175 total tackles.
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It’s unclear what the level of interest for Minter’s services will be, but a Bettcher-Minter reunion would be in the best interest of both the Giants and free agent linebacker himself. Bringing Minter in would provide an immediate upgrade at linebacker and, strictly from a financial standpoint, Minter’s market value shouldn’t be high enough to force the Giants into a bidding war for his services.
For Minter, who will be just 27 at the beginning of the 2018 season, signing with the Giants would give him an opportunity to revitalize his career in a familiar system, step into an immediate leadership role as the team transitions to Bettcher’s 3-4 scheme, and make his case for franchise cornerstone status.