Joey Porter unlikely to return to Cardinals

[sportznutt]

The Arizona Republic's Kent Somers considers OLB Joey Porter "doubtful" to be back with the Cardinals in 2011.

Porter only had five sacks in 2010, including zero in the final eight games. He turns 34 in March and is due a $5.75M salary, of which Porter is worth maybe half on his best day. He's likely to be released in the coming weeks. While the Cards are high on O'Brien Schofield, outside linebacker remains a major need. Von Miller is going to appeal to them with the fifth pick.

rotoworld

 

[sportznutt]

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2011/fa/lb.html

Any good ones?

 

[Mitch]

Not so fast.

It will be interesting to learn Ray Horton's take on Porter...

Maybe Horton finds the perfect role for him and rejuvenates him.

Deshea Townsend was asking Somers about Porter. I am guessing that they want him in the fold.

 

[187]

Only reason I'd want him is if he can help teach our young LB's the zone blitz scheme. He was borderline useless as a player this season.

 

[Buckybird]

Not a shocker IMO...good riddance!!! Thanks for not a damn thing #55!!! #55 is cursed just like the #75, retire them both!!!

 

[Monty]

Deshea Townsend was asking Somers about Porter. I am guessing that they want him in the fold.

Not sure i deduce the same thing as you from that, Mitch. If Horton & Co want to potentially keep Porter around, i dont think they could care less about what a reporter thinks of it.

 

[az1965]

That will be a smart move

 

[az1965]

Maybe Horton finds the perfect role for him and rejuvenates him.

There is nothing any coach can do about age and diminishing capabilities. I don't think motivation was an issue.

 

[LittleDavis]

There is nothing any coach can do about age and diminishing capabilities. I don't think motivation was an issue.

Maybe not motivation but utilization.

 

[ajcardfan]

Maybe not motivation but utilization.

He sure as hell was on the field way too much. He never should've been a three down player at any point last year, but that's how we used him most of the year. Maybe if he takes a pay cut and comes back as a pass rush specialist only, but otherwise, I just can't see it.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Every year one of Graves big FA signings from the previuos year is cut. This year it's Porter. No one should be surprised. Everybody but the Cards FO knew the guy was done.

 

[AzStevenCal]

There is nothing any coach can do about age and diminishing capabilities. I don't think motivation was an issue.

For a few years there it sure seemed like New England defied this claim. I think you can scheme to take advantage of strengths/hide weaknesses but you can only do that with one, maybe two guys. When you have weaknesses at several positions, an aging player like Porter becomes even less effective.

Steve

 

[Covert Rain]

This is not a big loss. Not having anybody to replace CD after letting him go still is. We are still looking to fill that loss.

 

[CardsFan88]

Well if they don't cut him, perhaps he'll be a better fit under a more similar to pitt defense?????

 

[vince56]

Our LBs were a massive liability this year. Haggans, a backup to our 4th best LB the past two years was underwhelming, Porter was not a viable solution as a pass rusher, though I liked his downfield tackling ability. Washington looks like a prototypical SAM LB in a 4-3, so I think he's correctly positioned at ILB in the 3-4. Hayes looked hobbled IMO, and though Lenon had some great tackle numbers, he reminded me more of Ron McKinnon than Ray Lewis. Stuffing the run and covering the middle zone are what we need there, not 200 tackles downfield for first downs.

LB is a massive area of need for the Cards, or we might as well just play a 4-3.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

Robert Quinn

 

[DangerZona]

Absolutely have to upgrade that spot if this team is going to be competitive.

 

[Duckjake]

While the Cards are high on O'Brien Schofield, outside linebacker remains a major need. Von Miller is going to appeal to them with the fifth pick.

This doesn't make any sense. If the Cards are high on Schofield why would they use the 5th pick in the draft on a similar guy?

Is Schofield our next Cody Brown/Buster Davis or something? Is he really nothing but a 4th round talent and all the talk about him being 1st or 2nd round talent who fell because of his injury just that, talk?

 

[ARodg]

While the Cards are high on O'Brien Schofield, outside linebacker remains a major need. Von Miller is going to appeal to them with the fifth pick.

This doesn't make any sense. If the Cards are high on Schofield why would they use the 5th pick in the draft on a similar guy?

Is Schofield our next Cody Brown/Buster Davis or something? Is he really nothing but a 4th round talent and all the talk about him being 1st or 2nd round talent who fell because of his injury just that, talk?

Having a consistent pass rush is important, especially if Dan Williams isn't going to be getting pressure up the middle at NT, which I don't think he will but if he's a consistent run stuffer he's doing his job.

X's being non factors.

Campbell-X-Dockett
OB-X-X-Miller

Is what pass rush looks like on non obvious passing downs.

On Obvious passing downs I think it changes to

Campbell-Dockett-Branch??
OB-X-X-Miller

Getting pass rush is defense in today's NFL. You can never have too many pass rushers. Porter at OLB doesn't cut it.

 

[Duckjake]

Having a consistent pass rush is important, especially if Dan Williams isn't going to be getting pressure up the middle at NT, which I don't think he will but if he's a consistent run stuffer he's doing his job.

X's being non factors.

Campbell-X-Dockett
OB-X-X-Miller

Is what pass rush looks like on non obvious passing downs.

On Obvious passing downs I think it changes to

Campbell-Dockett-Branch??
OB-X-X-Miller

Getting pass rush is defense in today's NFL. You can never have too many pass rushers. Porter at OLB doesn't cut it.

What does any of this have to do with O'Brien Schofield?

Change your deal to OLB-X-Washington-Schofield.

Now why do we need Miller?

Miller-X-Washington-Schofield? Teams would simply run over us.

 

[Hypothesis]

What does any of this have to do with O'Brien Schofield?

Change your deal to OLB-X-Washington-Schofield.

Now why do we need Miller?

Miller-X-Washington-Schofield? Teams would simply run over us.

Exactly.

 

[ARodg]

What does any of this have to do with O'Brien Schofield?

Change your deal to OLB-X-Washington-Schofield.

Now why do we need Miller?

Miller-X-Washington-Schofield? Teams would simply run over us.

In case this is where the confusion lies, OB=Schofield. OLB=Outside Line Backer to be acquired later.

Could Miller be any worse than Porter?? Honestly I'd rather have Houston than Miller but at this point it doesn't look like that's in the cards.

If I were the Cards I'd trade back to #12 grab Houston. Then trade #70 pick to the Packers for Nick Barnett.

Campbell-Williams-Dockett
Schofield-Barnett-Washington-Houston

That's a team that's good enough against the run on regular downs.

Passing downs the D-Line changes to

Campbell-Dockett-Branch

Obviously that isn't good enough against the run to be played normally but for 3rd and 12 that's plenty good enough.

 

[Hypothesis]

In case this is where the confusion lies, OB=Schofield. OLB=Outside Line Backer to be acquired later.

Could Miller be any worse than Porter?? Honestly I'd rather have Houston than Miller but at this point it doesn't look like that's in the cards.

If I were the Cards I'd trade back to #12 grab Houston. Then trade #70 pick to the Packers for Nick Barnett.

Campbell-Williams-Dockett
Schofield-Barnett-Washington-Houston

That's a team that's good enough against the run on regular downs.

Passing downs the D-Line changes to

Campbell-Dockett-Branch

Obviously that isn't good enough against the run to be played normally but for 3rd and 12 that's plenty good enough.

Ray Horton during an interview stated that on obvious passing downs, specifically on 3rd down, we'll be implementing the 4-2-5 defense. It would really help to add a player with some bulk and speed to them to play the OLB in our 3-4 base and who can put his hand in the ground and rush from DE in our 4 man front.

 

[Duckjake]

In case this is where the confusion lies, OB=Schofield. OLB=Outside Line Backer to be acquired later.

Could Miller be any worse than Porter?? Honestly I'd rather have Houston than Miller but at this point it doesn't look like that's in the cards.

If I were the Cards I'd trade back to #12 grab Houston. Then trade #70 pick to the Packers for Nick Barnett.

Campbell-Williams-Dockett
Schofield-Barnett-Washington-Houston

That's a team that's good enough against the run on regular downs.

Passing downs the D-Line changes to

Campbell-Dockett-Branch

Obviously that isn't good enough against the run to be played normally but for 3rd and 12 that's plenty good enough.

I watched a similar lineup get gashed on third and 12 for first down runs over and over last season.

I don't see Schofield as Haggans replacement. He is to replace Porter as the speed rusher. We need a guy like Acho or Beal to move in to Haggans spot. I just don't see how any 3-4 defense could operate with both OLB spots played by smaller speed rushers. Teams with big backs would kill us and we'd see 10-12 games a year like the 2009 Carolina game.

 

[ARodg]

Ray Horton during an interview stated that on obvious passing downs, specifically on 3rd down, we'll be implementing the 4-2-5 defense. It would really help to add a player with some bulk and speed to them to play the OLB in our 3-4 base and who can put his hand in the ground and rush from DE in our 4 man front.

I hate the 4-2-5 on passing downs. It places a huge need on the rarest players in football. IE DTs who are good against the pass. There are really only a handful of guys in the entire NFL that fit that category. Dockett is one such guy, the issue is that Williams isn't. If he was he'd be a probowl level player and he's just not.

There's a reason that the best Defenses are going more to a 2-4-5 on passing downs.

Steelers go with two Antonio Smith/Ziggy Hood/Brett Kesel based on health. They then move up one or both of Harrison and Woodley to give the look of a 3/4 man front.

Packers go with Cullen Jenkins and BJ Raji, while moving up Clay Matthews.

If by 4-2-5 Horton means that Campbell and Dockett will be playing in the middle and he will walk up Schofield and the new OLB than that's fine and great. If he means that Dan williams is in on passing downs, that's not so great.

Regardless I think that Houston fits that role better than anybody. He's had experience with his hand down and playing upright and was excellent at both. He's not undersized and is stout against the run.

Campbell-Williams-Dockett

Schofield-X-Washington-Houston

I think is good enough against the run. Especially if the X is replaced with Nick Barnett, and not somebody undersized.

---------------------------------------------------------

Schofield-Campbell-Dockett-Houston

Barnett-Washington

Looks okay to me on blatantly obvious passing downs.