Kevin Minter (51): Tez 'deserves it.'
Middle linebacker Kevin Minter, who lockers and plays next to him, leaned on Vontaze Burfict's vacant locker and applauded the Bengals signing him up for three more years at nearly $39 million.
"Deservedly so. He's been of the top (inside) backers in this league for years," said Minter before Friday's walk-through at Paul Brown Stadium. "Regardless of that hit, I think he got what he deserves. He's one of the leaders of this team and definitely a leader of this defense.
"You get to know the guy when you see how he interacts, how he actually makes us better, you see his worth and they see it upstairs."
Burfict is serving his second three-game suspension for violating player safety rules, but head coach Marvin Lewis indicated the negotiations had been far along before the Aug. 19 hit on Kansas City fullback Anthony Sherman.
"Once they were involved in the process, it's hard for the team to go back and renege on it," Lewis said. "It's great for the planning for the club. In Mike's (Brown) mind, that helps them plan for the future of the team knowing he has that spot somewhat solidified."
Minter signed a one-year deal back in March and admits he wondered what he would find with Burfict when he arrived from Arizona. Plus, they were working on one-year deals at the same position. Talk about a pleasant surprise.
"He's night and day how the media portrays him," Minter said. "He's a great guy. He's acclimated me to the playbook. He came right on in and helped me out with technique and how to play certain stuff here. He gets into the playbook. I respect him a lot."
Profootballtalk.com published deal that consists of some give and take on both sides. Along with a $3.3 million signing bonus, his salary for this season basically doubles to nearly $8 million, so he takes home nearly 10 million in 2017, which has to be considered guaranteed barring a suspension. He's got a Pro Bowl escalator that could bring him as much as $1.5 million.
-Lewis said after Friday's walk-through that rookie wide receiver John Ross (knee) could play Sunday against the Ravens (1 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) after his second straight limited practice, but wouldn't say if he would. He was listed as questionable and starting safety Shawn Williams (elbow) and back-up tight end C.J. Uzomah (ankle) are out.
A visual look at the 2017 Bengals roster.
![Chris Smith](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/k1oy5cseswuspcd5m80m.jpg)
Chris Smith
![Christian Westerman](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/aijmtrlzpunpicamggyg.jpg)
Christian Westerman
![Geno Atkins](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/pyifmdiagc87y6fnacuf.jpg)
Geno Atkins
![Giovani Bernard](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/byjcft4iwvybgqq4yvkv.jpg)
Giovani Bernard
![Andrew Billings](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/w8a3a2mbh839ttyk4lpc.jpg)
Andrew Billings
![Russell Bodine](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/fya3vfoj28pa0qrcunno.jpg)
Russell Bodine
![Clint Boling](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/pe7ylpr9qpww9xepqrga.jpg)
Clint Boling
![Tyler Boyd](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/ri0rzgdyohzkpfvlpewb.jpg)
Tyler Boyd
![Randy Bullock](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/g0dpdgwpvcsroopcmwlw.jpg)
Randy Bullock
![Cethan Carter](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/atr87ul3f8bnrnwe1qyj.jpg)
Cethan Carter
![Cody Core](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/tws3qaeyg7f5yevugcq1.jpg)
Cody Core
![Andy Dalton](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/mr06m7vcdekqagzaeyl1.jpg)
Andy Dalton
![Darqueze Dennard](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/xbg5pibf4yr6f5uifrdp.jpg)
Darqueze Dennard
![Carlos Dunlap](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/zd7zg8mklb0az1mnm1pv.jpg)
Carlos Dunlap
![Tyler Eifert](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/kt6cycp0xxvdydonbaiv.jpg)
Tyler Eifert
![Alex Erickson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/q23s2lba5o8griolfpru.jpg)
Alex Erickson
![Jordan Evans](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/stqofei3gmcmnt71ooow.jpg)
Jordan Evans
![Clayton Fejedelem](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/htcv7y6lzyatj1niopit.jpg)
Clayton Fejedelem
![Jake Fisher](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/do5o30u1pw7ohyvjlyvl.jpg)
Jake Fisher
![Ryan Glasgow](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/kmeqqczzwst7apmwnqfp.jpg)
Ryan Glasgow
![A.J. Green](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/liyxgs9jajdqdldkwqau.jpg)
A.J. Green
![Clark Harris](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/wd5oh4vqn858iflttzmb.jpg)
Clark Harris
![Ryan Hewitt](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/atdh1vewfrlcwxvnbna8.jpg)
Ryan Hewitt
![Jeremy Hill](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/s5mz2npmzyonbyj8nbqq.jpg)
Jeremy Hill
![Trey Hopkins](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/xr0o1ly4ue4zypqpahc4.jpg)
Trey Hopkins
![Kevin Huber](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/kumzqt7rsdr0e4thlvia.jpg)
Kevin Huber
![George Iloka](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/vq435ozz9riwxc6eqbsk.jpg)
George Iloka
![Michael Johnson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/j8ycfubqibm39tslpbik.jpg)
Michael Johnson
![T.J. Johnson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/efoewpx0y493g8v3yj5i.jpg)
T.J. Johnson
![Dre Kirkpatrick](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/a4ba9pf9lja8socn2tjc.jpg)
Dre Kirkpatrick
![Tyler Kroft](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/dojihoj2jt7xgrhbmnev.jpg)
Tyler Kroft
![Brandon LaFell](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/vusaepc7w1fqmmeswshl.jpg)
Brandon LaFell
![Carl Lawson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/wmlso6ibeqxr9dhk9cxe.jpg)
Carl Lawson
![Josh Malone](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/lojjnasj6kde7cw7nupq.jpg)
Josh Malone
![AJ McCarron](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/dmrlp6hi8j2yzope5blw.jpg)
AJ McCarron
![Kevin Minter](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/mukqnvbqtygs0bv6fl5e.jpg)
Kevin Minter
![Joe Mixon](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/dkbkyrylfwezs4zaxktn.jpg)
Joe Mixon
![Hardy Nickerson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/outtasx0ubiwwhm03uhj.jpg)
Hardy Nickerson
![Cedric Ogbuehi](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/xljz776e68vcbbufmxfx.jpg)
Cedric Ogbuehi
![Alex Redmond](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/hnc6jnwhzzfyeqnqp0qy.jpg)
Alex Redmond
![Vincent Rey](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/b0ftipbb2ccvq4caq74v.jpg)
Vincent Rey
![John Ross](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/hd2a4ak67fe1pt4lmxjj.jpg)
John Ross
![KeiVarae Russell](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/wp7pjkyrtqcyoc5gipeo.jpg)
KeiVarae Russell
![Josh Shaw](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/siqkeg8ummot71pyn3d2.jpg)
Josh Shaw
![Pat Sims](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/gb2o8fiy3hell2pmsp2b.jpg)
Pat Sims
![Andre Smith](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/l2rzvdwbzkml4uapivp9.jpg)
Andre Smith
![Derron Smith](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/gexnipdsflmymllwcxix.jpg)
Derron Smith
![C.J. Uzomah](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/ljflcs3jtgfvdtvgqdks.jpg)
C.J. Uzomah
![Nick Vigil](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/pwfqncqom0fpmt8calxr.jpg)
Nick Vigil
![Shawn Williams](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/tnxrfjsofow18gwfiq6a.jpg)
Shawn Williams
![Jordan Willis](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/lejoy17rkfxxp9rtpksu.jpg)
Jordan Willis
![William Jackson](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_new_photo_album/t_lazy/f_auto/bengals/h5ws4shievekz11viea3.jpg)
William Jackson