Showing posts with label Joey Porter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joey Porter. Show all posts

Friday, December 28, 2007

Cam Cameron, Randy Muller, and Joey Porter To Be Out At Miami Dolphins - Profootballtalk.com

If this is true, then Bill Parcells is cleaning house big time. The organization needs a shake-up. I would link to the specific place where this is, but they don't have a standard blog system, so I can't.

"SWEEPING CHANGES" COMING IN MIAMI

A source with knowledge of the situation in South Florida tells us that "sweeping changes" are most likely coming for the Dolphins. And soon.

Coach Cam Cameron? Out. General Manager Randy Mueller? Out as soon as Monday, even though he's been doing research all year for free agency and the draft.

We're told that Parcells already has been working directly with the league office to obtain the appropriate permissions to hire Cowboys V.P. of college and pro scouting Jeff Ireland.

As Peter King of SI.com pointed out earlier in the week in his MMQB column, Parcells' contract makes clear that he merely is the overseer of the football operations.

"We set it up so the general manager I hire will have that authority. I want to make it clear: I don't want to be the general manager. I don't want to be the head coach. I told Wayne [Huizenga] that very clearly. I don't think it will be an issue.''

If it is an issue -- if the league concludes that Parcells has final say over personnel -- then the Fins might have trouble finding a G.M. Under league rules, a team is not required to allow a front office employee to leave unless he will have final say in his new job.

So if it's determined that the Tuna has the juice, the only guys he'll be able to hire are guys who are permitted by their teams to leave, or who have contracts that specifically allow a premature departure.

And even if a guy is in the final year of his contract, most front office deals run through the draft.

With all that said, there's a growing sense in some circles that Parcells will get Ireland, and that the pair will work together in reshaping the front office.

Another source tells us that the fates of Mueller and Cameron have been sealed by people telling the Tuna that the current G.M. and coach don't burn the midnight fish oil in South Florida. Parcells, a workaholic, doesn't like the idea of guys not doing all they can to win.

POSTED 9:38 a.m. EST, December 28, 2007

PORTER DONE IN MIAMI?

With new Fins football poobah Bill Parcells declaring that he wants no "thugs and hoodlums" in Miami, the immediate reaction in league circles is that linebacker Joey Porter won't be long for South Florida.

Though Porter is primarily a bag of hot air, he was busted earlier in the year for busting up Bengals left tackle Levi Jones.

And Parcells surely means it. The Cowboys, a team primarily built by Parcells, have had no arrests in 2007. Ditto for the Patriots, who are led by a long-time Parcells' lieutenant, and by Parcells' son-in-law. And the Jets, under the leadership of Parcells' protege G.M. Mike Tannenbaum, have had only one incident this year.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have amassed the most points in our Turd Watch game (which we need to update). Much of the damage was done by defensive tackle Fred Evans and receiver Kelly Campbell, who already are long gone.

The only caveat as to Porter is that the $20 million in guaranteed money that he reportedly received when he signed would hit the cap. Parcells could designate Porter as a post-June 1 cut, taking the bulk of the hit in 2009.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Lets LB Joey Porter Go - To The Miami Dolphins

I think Tomlin should have met face-to-face with Porter, rather than just calling him on the telephone. Now, he's a Dolphin. Still, Porter's not the most effective linebacker he used to be and it may be that getting a ring had impacted his intensity. We'll see. The Miami weather could do the same!


Porter thinks he'd be a Steeler if Cowher had stayed

Thursday, March 08, 2007

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Joey Porter believes he might have remained with the Steelers had Bill Cowher not quit as their coach in January.

"I would like to say that he would have made an effort to get something done over there. I just feel that way," said Porter at a news conference yesterday in Miami after he signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Dolphins.

Last summer, Cowher talked Porter out of a planned training-camp holdout over unhappiness with his contract, which then had two years to go.

The Steelers released Porter, who turns 30 March 22, last Thursday rather than pay him a $1 million roster bonus and another $4 million in salary for 2007. New coach Mike Tomlin told Porter of their decision in a telephone call.

The Steelers feared he would go through with a holdout this year. Porter scoffed at reports that the Steelers believed his play had slipped last season after he made three Pro Bowls in eight years with them and climbed to fourth on their career sack list with 60.

"They have to have something to write so it doesn't bother me at all," Porter said. "I know what I can do. The reality of it, you put me in a situation to do my job, I can do my job well.

"The reality of last year, our whole season last year, the team didn't get it done. We didn't play well enough to be successful. I think as a whole team we never had that many third downs; we never were ahead of a team to get after the quarterback like we normally would.

"As far as my play, my play will be there. I am not worried about it. If they look at it as a down year -- we had a whole down year as a team so we all failed in getting the job done that we wanted to get done, but I feel like I can still play this game at a Pro Bowl level, and that's the type of player I am."

The Dolphins plan to team Porter at one outside linebacker with Jason Taylor on the other side. The Dolphins will give Porter a $12 million signing bonus with a reported $20 million of his contract guaranteed.

"This was a blessing in disguise for me, me having the opportunity to come play here in Miami," Porter said. "I think it is going to be a perfect fit. I am excited about the transition."

Dom Capers, Cowher's first defensive coordinator with the Steelers, holds the same job with the Dolphins and plans to run a 3-4 defense more often next season. He said he saw no falloff in Porter's play in 2006.

"I'm still fairly familiar with a number of the people in the Steelers' organization," Capers said. "There was a period of time, I think, with Joey that he had a hamstring pull. It affected him, I think, in a number of games. When you watched him early in the season and you watched him late in the season, you saw somewhat the same player that you did during the playoff run and their run to the Super Bowl the year before. He impacted those games probably as much as any player that they had. I thought he was outstanding in their playoff stretch run there and in the Super Bowl."

Capers said he was surprised the Steelers released him.

"Anytime that there is a player who's been an impact player and he's done it fairly consistently throughout his career, you're going to take a good look. The minute that I saw he was released, we tried to gather as much information as we could so we could certainly talk about him and, hopefully, make a good decision."

Capers compared Porter's situation on the Steelers to the one when the team did not attempt to re-sign outside linebacker Kevin Greene when he became a free agent after the 1995 season. Capers was by then the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, who signed Greene.

"Different organizations look at things differently," Capers said. "There was a very similar situation where Kevin Greene was released and Jason Gildon stepped in, and Kevin Greene came to Carolina and led the league in sacks the next year. We were able to pick up a football player who was still very productive -- went to the Pro Bowl.

"You would say then, 'Why did that happen?' So you never really know. Certain teams, when they've been running schemes as long as they have up there in Pittsburgh -- 15 years it's been the same scheme. So they've had a long line of the Kevin Greenes, the Jason Gildons, the Joey Porters -- Pro Bowl players at those positions."

Browns Ink Jamal Lewis and Other FA News

Browns Corral Running Back Jamal Lewis plus other Free Agent Moves-See my Notes Below
By The Associated Press


Jamal Lewis will have to find another team for his personal patsy. The former 2,000-yard rusher joined the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday night, agreeing to a one-year deal with the club he set an NFL single-game rushing record against.

In 2003, Lewis torched the Browns for 295 yards on the ground. He rushed for 2,066 yards, the second-highest total in league history, that year, and was the league's offensive player of the year.

The free agent was released last week in a salary-cap move by Baltimore, which elected not to pay its career rushing leader a $5 million roster bonus. He'll now try to boost the Browns, who were last in the league in rushing in 2006.

"We are pleased to add Jamal Lewis to our team," Browns general manager Phil Savage said in a statement. "He is a proven NFL back who brings a toughness and demeanor to the game that his teammates and our fans will appreciate."

With the 27-year-old Lewis on board, the Browns must decide what to do with incumbent Reuben Droughns. They owe Droughns a $1.75 million roster bonus later this month.

Slowed by injuries, Droughns rushed for just 758 yards last season after gaining 1,232 yards in 2005 -- the first Cleveland back to eclipse 1,000 yards since 1985.

Coach Romeo Crennel recently said he isn't dissatisfied with Droughns. Of course, he didn't have Lewis on the team then.

"He has shown us that he does have the ability, that he can be a productive runner for us," Crennel said. "I expect him to get back to that form that he had. That 1,200-yard form. That's what I'm looking for."

Denver was looking for a tight end to boost its offense, and got the best available in Daniel Graham. He agreed to a five-year, $30 million deal that includes $15 million in guaranteed money.

New England drafted Graham 21st overall in 2002. He caught 120 passes for 1,393 yards and 17 touchdowns with the Patriots, but recently was primarily a blocker.

The 6-foot-3, 257-pound Graham grew up in Denver and attended the University of Colorado. His father, Tom Graham, played linebacker for the Broncos from 1972 to 1974.

He joins newly signed running back Travis Henry plus two players the Broncos obtained in trades: cornerback Dre' Bly and defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson. Bly is balking at playing for Denver.

Outside linebacker Joey Porter passed his physical and signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Dolphins. Porter, a three-time Pro Bowler, spent his first eight seasons with the Steelers, who released him last week in a salary-cap move. He ranks fourth in Steelers history with 60 sacks, including seven last year.

Porter joins a defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed and included defensive player of the year Jason Taylor.

"It's great that we were able to acquire a player of Joey's caliber," Taylor said. "He has been an impact player in this league for many years, and when you add someone who has the ability to make plays like he does, it will help not just the defense, but the entire team."


First: Phil Savage has to be one happy camper! He's got the Rusher he's always wanted ever since"the Big 295" a few years back, and he's in line to Grab Russell In the Draft if he slips past Al Davis and The Raiders.

Next: If the Broncos aren't Gearing up for a 4-5 year playoff run, your not paying attention! Even if Dre Doesn't want to play in the Snow of Denver, they already are a better team, and they can trade him somewhere he wants to go and get 2 DB's in the Draft, even though this is a weak draft overall, the FA market isn't that thick either...

Last: Hey that AFC East can't be called the AFC "Least" anymore!! All 4 teams are making improvements, and it may come down to who adds the best depth in the draft and who has the least injuries going into the regular season.