Focus On: Linebackers

This is the first in a series of articles looking through each of the position groups with an eye toward free agency. And why not begin with one of the lightning rods for this team? Rey Maualuga: unrestricted free agent Often a liability, he should not be the middle backer next year. But I say he will be a Bengal in 2013. [Collective groan.] Face it. Rey will draw zero interest, making him cheap to re-sign. And he has experience in Zimmer’s system. He is a reclamation project at this point. If Zim can tear him down and rebuild him again (by benching him and making him earn his way onto the field again), he just might find a serviceable player hiding in there somewhere once Rey stops trying to not lose his job. Vontaze Burfict: signed through 2014 The kid was simply brilliant. Moving him to the middle of the defense is inevitable. Marvin showed his GM skills by reaching out to a kid that everyone else had given up on and finding a real gem in the process. Manny Lawson: unrestricted f...