Linebacker Emmanuel Lamur has officially signed his one-year contract tender and will return to Cincinnati for the 2015 season, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Lamur, who received a second-round RFA tender from the Bengals, will be in line for a $2.356MM salary.
In over 900 defensive snaps for the Bengals last season, Lamur graded as a below-average player in pass coverage, run defense, and as a pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which ranked him 39th out of 40 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers. However, the team clearly viewed the 25-year-old’s performance more favorably, with his 97 tackles and two interceptions earning him more than just the low-end RFA tender.
If Lamur, who went undrafted out of Kansas State, had received that low-end RFA offer, which doesn’t come with any draft pick compensation, he may have drawn interest from rival suitors. However, because the Bengals assigned him the $2.356MM tender, any team interested in signing Lamur would’ve had to surrender a second-round pick to land him, which likely diminished any outside interest.
Lamur had been the only Bengals’ restricted free agent who remained unsigned.