Bengals approval poll: Was cutting Rey Maualuga right decision?

As soon as the offseason began, Rey Maualuga’s days in Cincinnati were numbered.

Between the emergence of Nick Vigil, the addition of Kevin Minter and Maualuga simply becoming a role player for most of last season, it was inevitable the Bengals were going to cut Maualuga at some point.

It finally came on Saturday as the team parted ways with the enigmatic linebacker. ‘Will the Bengals cut Maualuga’ has been asked seemingly every offseason since he took over as the team’s starting middle linebacker in 2011, a role he badly struggled in more often than not.

Maualuga has always been a guy who was best suited as a role player getting about 15-20 snaps per game. Instead, the Bengals tried to make him something he wasn’t; a full-time player getting 60-plus snaps per game that defenses made it a point to attack in the run game and in coverage.

It didn’t help that Maualuga’s work ethic was never what it should be, especially for a guy who was supposed to be a leader for this defense. This only made it easier for the Bengals to cut him once they had enough depth at this position to make up for his loss.

Not only do the Bengals now get a chance to get younger, faster and more athletic at linebacker, but they also save almost $4 million by cutting him. Unsurprisingly, that’s what new linebacker Kevin Minter is now making, meaning the Bengals basically picked Minter over Maualuga for next season.