The Vikings have reportedly agreed to terms with former Bengals linebacker Emmanuel Lamur.
This move, reported by numerous outlets as outlined in our Live Blog, comes after the Vikings retained linebacker Audie Cole and also reportedly agreed to terms with former Lions linebacker Travis Lewis. The stage is already set for a considerable competition in Mankato at the linebacker position, and the NFL Draft hasn’t even happened yet, so one can’t help but wonder if Chad Greenway really has played his last game for the Vikings.
Lamur draws a lot of comparisons to Anthony Barr for his similar size (6′ 4″ and 245 pounds) and the role he played in Cincinnati’s defense. Lamur began his career as an undrafted free agent for the Bengals when Mike Zimmer was still their defensive coordinator.
Since joining the league in 2012, Lamur has played in 39 games, where he has notched 150 career tackles and 15 starts.
He’ll probably be listed as Barr’s primary backup on the official depth chart when all is said and done, but could play a larger role than that suggests via the situational rotation that a Mike Zimmer defense employs.
Additionally, Lamur could be a valuable piece to the special teams puzzle in 2016 and beyond.
The reported details of this two year deal, however, certainly suggest the Vikings don’t plan on Lamur riding the bench by any means.