Cincinnati Bengals’ 2010s All-Decade Starting Team
Vontaze Burfict
You can’t talk Bengals’ linebackers without mentioning the polarizing Vontaze Burfict. The front office scooped the talented playmaker up as an undrafted free agent, in large part thanks to the recruitment efforts of then-head coach Marvin Lewis.
At his best, he completely transformed the defense, making firey plays as the heart and soul of the entire operation. At his worst, he was drawing flags and garnering unwanted attention to himself and the team.
Rey Maualuga
The Bengals don’t have a ton of options to choose from, so Maualuga gets the nod here. The former USC linebacker struggled towards the end of his career in Cincinnati, but he had stretches of bright play upon entering the league.
If he played in another decade, his size could’ve made him a star. With the linebacker revolution that occurred during his tenure, however, his strengths just didn’t match what teams need at the position in the modern NFL.
Nick Vigil
As previously mentioned, the Bengals have struggled with linebacker play for the entire last decade, making options limited. Vigil was by no means a bad player, one would just hope the team would have a higher caliber guy to place on the all-decade team.
The former Utah State linebacker got better every year in the league and earned 111 tackles in his fourth year as a pro. With new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo now calling the shots in Cincinnati, he no longer fit into the plans for the future. He’ll look to continue his improvement with the Chargers after signing a contract with the team this offseason.