Rob0729

From Len Pasquerelli's Inside Tip Sheet Column on Friday

Don't be surprised if in the next week or so the Pittsburgh Steelers release Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter. Porter's productivity tailed off considerably in 2006, and his contract status could become a problem. Porter is due a $1 million roster bonus on March 6, and his scheduled base salary for 2007, the final season of his current deal, is $4 million. Porter made some noise last summer about sitting out training camp in an effort to elicit a new contract from the Steelers but backed off those threats on the advice of then-coach Bill Cowher. Word around the league is that Porter, whose forte has always been his explosive quickness coming off the edge, has lost a half-step.

"He isn't the same guy," said one rival AFC North coach this week. "He's not a guy anymore where you say, 'OK, I have to game-plan around him.' It'll be interesting to see what [the Steelers] do with him. More than the money, it's an issue of his performance really tailing off."

First-year coach Mike Tomlin retained Dick LeBeau as his defensive coordinator, so the guess is that Pittsburgh will deploy a 3-4 front again in 2007. But long term, the suspicion is that Tomlin wants to transition to a Cover 2-type of scheme and a 4-3 front. And Porter, a hybrid-type player, certainly is not a good fit for that combination.

Ok, Porter may be a loudmouth and might have lost a step, but he might be perfect for the Pats. The Pats aren't as much of a blitzing team as the Steelers so that lost half step might not be as much of an issue for them.

Porter will probably ask for too much if he is released and I don't think the Pats would get into a bidding war for him because he isn't as versatile as a guy like Adalius Thomas, but it could at least cool the market a bit on Thomas with Porter available.

JoeSixPat

I just don't see someone like Porter voluntarilly coming to NE - no matter what people think about what he can contribute, whether he'd be a bad character guy etc...

Porter's all about two things given this point in his career, if he gets cut:

1. Money
2. An opportunity to pull in a lot of receptions.

He'd get neither here, especially given our tendency to spread the ball out. Since he'd effectively be in a contract year, there's no way his agent would let him come here, even if the money was decent for a year.

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zippo59

This is about Joey Porter the linebacker not Jerry Porter the wide receiver.

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Unofficial Kevin Faulk supporter.

GHOSTOFSAMGASH

i think youre getting him mixed up with jerry porter the wr of the raiders

joey plays for the steelers and is a lb, i think the pats could make him work but he will probably get overpaid, maybe by the redskins if they havent signed london broil yet

Keegs

hahahaahhaahahah

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broadwayjoe

I believe you have Joey Porter mixed up with Jerry Porter of the Raiders.

spacecrime

Is he the guy that wrote KISS ME KATE?

Yankees/Colts

I'm all for it myself. I think the Pats should add a few more players to the defense who have lost a half a step.

Maybe the Colts can put up a 40 burger in the 2nd half next season.

pheenix11

Joey Porter would make a helluva WR.

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brdmaverick

don't write him off just yet. It's amazing how someone can step up his performance when they feel they have something to prove

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