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Earlier today, the Patriots re-signed Dont’a Hightower, and we mentioned that it might get the inside linebacker market moving a bit. If that’s the case, expect the Colts to be involved.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Colts “have been actively monitoring” the inside linebacker situation and have had three guys in for recent visits: Sean Spence, Kevin Minter, and Jon Bostic.
We had heard about the visit with Kevin Minter, which reportedly took place yesterday, but hadn’t yet heard about the visits with Sean Spence and Jon Bostic.
Minter was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft and he developed into a starter, as he started every game for them in the past two seasons. In total, he has played in 61 games and started 37 of them, recording 223 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, and four passes defensed.
Spence was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played with the team from 2012-2015 before signing with the Tennessee Titans for the 2016 season. He has played in 46 career games and started 19, recording 144 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, and three passes defensed.
Bostic was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and after a couple of seasons in Chicago he was traded to the New England Patriots early in the 2015 season. The Patriots, however, traded Bostic to the Detroit Lions last offseason, though he missed the 2016 season due to injury. In his career, he has played in 40 games (starting 18) and has recorded 143 tackles, two sacks, four passes defensed, and an interception.
Minter is easily the best player out of this group, but all three would help a Colts team that really needs inside linebackers, if for nothing more than competition for Edwin Jackson and Antonio Morrison (because there currently isn’t really any competition there). It shouldn’t be any surprise that the Colts are monitoring that inside linebacker market, and it’s possible we could see some movement soon now that Hightower has re-signed with the Patriots.