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It was a long and predominantly football-less weekend, so I was unable to get my game picks up in time for yesterday’s games. Too bad, as I’ve gotten 12 out of 15 right so far. In the interest of quickly catching up on Miami Dolphins news a bit, he…
Joey Porter will be visiting with the Washington Redskins this week in hopes of finding his new team after being released from the Miami Dolphins.
The Redskins need help at linebacker, with London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh the only solid veterans on the unit.
Washington will be implementing a 3-4 defensive scheme for next season, which bodes well for Brian Orakpo. He should thrive as an outside linebacker in the new system. But there’s still a hole to be filled, and for some reason general manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan seem to think Porter is the answer.
The question is why?
This may be a new regime, but you’d think they would have learned from their predecessors’ mistakes. Does Washington really need another disgruntled former Dolphins’ linebacker on their hands?
Lets face it, at 33-years-old, Porter’s best years are a ways back in the rear-view mirror. He’s slowed down significantly, to the point the Dolphins tried to pull him off the field for long stretches last season when he wasn’t producing.
Miami’s coaching staff wasn’t able to get him to actually come to the sidelines on most occasions; Porter just simply refused to come out of games. It caused a lot of problems and seriously messed with the chain of command.
After the season, Porter went on the radio and blasted the coaching staff and franchise for the way they “mishandled” him. Some may say that led to his March 5 release, but the Dolphins would tell you otherwise.
Porter had 41 tackles, nine sacks, and one forced fumble last season; significantly down from the 17.5 sacks and four forced fumbles he recorded in 2008. He struggled with nagging injuries all season and it was obvious he wasn’t giving it his all.
He was benched for a reason—the same reason he was cut. Porter just doesn’t seem to have it in him, physically or mentally. At this point in his career, he’s a distraction in the locker room and a liability on the field.
He struggles against the run and in pass coverage. And as a pass-rusher, he’ll almost assuredly never reach his All-Pro numbers from two seasons ago.
So what exactly do the Redskins see here that the Dolphins don’t? There’s talk of converting him to inside linebacker, but history shows Porter struggles when played out of position. In his first year in Miami, the Dolphins had him playing strong side linebacker and he flopped his way to only 5.5 sacks.
Porter blamed the system.
Doesn’t any of this seem familiar?
When Washington traded for Jason Taylor he put up the worst numbers of his career before being released after just one season. He was put out of position as well, and as a result he bombed.
Trying to turn Porter into something he’s not is the same mistake. Miami made it in 2007, Washington made it with Taylor in 2008.
The fact is, Porter may still have a little left in the tank as a pass-rushing specialist, but he refuses to play a secondary role. That’s one of the reasons he was booted out of South Florida.
So while he might bring a decent level of production to the table, his character issues heavily outweigh any good he puts on the table.
Have Allen and Shanahan forgotten about Porter’s history with offensive tackle Levi Jones? These two have a history of on-field hatred dating back to their days with the Bengals and Steelers. They outright admit how much they dislike each other.
They even had a very public run in outside a Las Vegas casino. Porter and a group of friends got into a brawl with Levi, and allegedly robbed him of his jewelry. The dispute began with a confrontation at a poker table earlier in the day.
These two cannot peacefully co-exist, you can bet on that. Bring in Porter and that’s an issue this coaching staff will have issues with all season. Shanahan may be a pro at what he does, and he may command the attention of his players, but he’s not going to quell this intense rivalry; at least not for long.
There’s nothing that makes sense about this potential signing. The only thing that can come from it is a headache. Didn’t this team learn their lesson about old, disgruntled former Dolphins last time?
Redskins fans better hope so, or it will be a long ride on the Porter express.
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The first week of NFL free agency is already in the books.
Numerous teams have already made significant upgrades at positions of need.
Unfortunately, the San Francisco 49ers are not one of them.
Despite having multiple starting positions in need of an upgrade, the 49ers have made only one minor signing so far this season. By signing quarterback David Carr to backup Alex Smith, San Francisco’s lone free agent pickup thus far has come at a position that’s quite low on the needs list.
In fact, quarterback wasn’t really a need at all considering the direction the 49ers are heading in, with continuity being of the utmost importance.
Now fans and analysts may argue the order of the top four biggest needs for the 49ers, but there really is no arguing against what they are.
In any given order, the 49ers need to upgrade in the following areas:
1. pass rush
2. offensive line
3. secondary
4. return game
Granted, the 49ers have two first-round draft choices in the upcoming NFL draft, but by addressing some of their needs in free agency, the team would then be able to narrow the list of positional needs in the draft.
For example, there are various NFL “mock drafts” that have the 49ers taking two offensive linemen in the first round, as well as some that have them addressing the return game and pass rush with those picks.
With varying opinions from both fans and experts alike on how the 49ers should utilize their two first-round picks, it is clear that the 49ers need a handful of positional upgrades.
In order for the 49ers to become stronger come draft day, they should look to address some of the areas of need in free agency.
The pass rush, offensive line, and secondary should all be upgraded in one way or another through free agency.
First of all, the pass rush can be significantly upgraded on the cheap. Just recently, the incredibly flamboyant but immensely talented pass rushing outside linebacker, Joey Porter was released by the Miami Dolphins.
Soon to be 33, Porter’s age and brash style will probably prohibit the four-time Pro Bowler from getting a long-term deal.
By adding Porter to the mix, San Francisco would bolster a pass rush that has been incredibly mediocre over the last few seasons, and signing him isn’t likely to break the bank.
Upgrading the secondary can be done by going after veteran free agent safety, Darren Sharper, to fill in at free safety while then moving the up-and-coming Dashon Goldson over to strong safety.
Sharper may be turning 35 next season, but he still tied a career high with nine interceptions last year, helping the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl victory.
Clearly, a Sharper-Goldson combo would be a much better duo than a Goldson, and concussion prone, Michael Lewis tandem. Sharper would be a great veteran presence on an otherwise young 49er defense, and at his age, he won’t require a lengthy contract.
As for the offensive line, names such as Langston Walker, Levi Jones, Mike Gandy, and Damion McIntosh are all free agent tackles that could fill in the gap the 49ers currently have at right tackle.
Of course, the 49ers would need to proceed with caution before signing Jones if they also plan on signing Joey Porter at outside linebacker. These two have some severe issues with one another going back to the days when Porter played for the Steelers, and Jones was on the Bengals.
Either way, whether the 49ers want to go after Jones or another free agent tackle, there are a number of talented stop-gaps available to play opposite Joe Staley that shouldn’t require more than one-year deals.
If the 49ers were able to pickup a safety, pass rusher, and offensive tackle in free agency, that would give them much more flexibility with their first-round draft choices.
Taking Clemson running back C. J. Spiller at No. 13 overall would be a much wiser move if the 49ers were to have added an offensive tackle in free agency.
Spiller would be a great fit in the return game—an area where the 49ers desperately need to improve—and he could also suffice as an ideal change of pace back for Frank Gore.
Four picks later, the 49ers would then have the luxury of being able to go in many different directions.
Essentially, at pick No.17, the 49ers could take the best player available. They could still take the best tackle on the board to add depth to the offensive line, or they could also look to draft an offensive guard (perhaps Mike Iupati, if available). Even inside linebacker Rolando McClain (if he falls) could be an option at this point in the draft.
However, if the 49ers don’t add quality players at their positions of need via free agency, they will limit what they can do with their first-round draft choices.
San Francisco will almost assuredly have to take an offensive tackle with one of their first-round selections, and improving either the secondary or pass rush will end up being more critical than drafting a return specialist. Therefore, the 49ers would probably have to pass up on drafting the explosive C. J. Spiller.
But drafting Spiller would be a huge addition to this squad, and in order to make his selection at No. 13 an ideal move, the 49ers will need to have added some new talent through free agency.
Unfortunately, 49er management has been steadfast in not making a “splash” in free agency.
However, the good news is that with the amount of free agents available, “splashes” don’t necessarily have to be expensive long-term deals.
The 49ers can improve in free agency by signing a couple of proven veteran players to cheap, short-term deals.
If the management realizes this and picks up some of these veteran free agents, then the 49ers will be able to snatch up a play maker like Spiller come draft day.
This article was originally published at nfltouchdown.com and can be seen here.
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We don’t see this very often, but four days into free agency the Washington Redskins have yet to make a big splash in the free agent market.
They could have jumped into the bidding war for Julius Peppers or Karlos Dansby. However, they opted to take the conservative route and bide their time.
Thus far, they have signed just one player who is far from a big name. Artis Hicks, a versatile utility lineman from the Minnesota Vikings, is all the Skins have snapped up in free agency this year.
Yet despite the inactivity, there have been rumblings of a few players here and there.
Tackles Tony Pashos and Chad Clifton each stopped by before inking deals elsewhere.
LB Larry Foote and RB Willie Parker visited Redskins Park yesterday while WR Antonio Bryant is expected to do the same today.
None of these guys are going to be superstars, but they are players who can contribute to the overall betterment of the team. Foote can play MLB in the 3-4 defense while Parker would be a solid veteran change-of-pace to Clinton Portis.
Bryant is the interesting one.
The Redskins don’t have a great corps of receivers. Devin Thomas looks like he could be a decent player. Santana Moss can be great if he draws single coverage. Malcolm Kelly really has done nothing.
Bryant would be a consistent possession receiver who would free up Moss and perhaps move him to the slot. That would give the Redskins two big receiving options on either side in Thomas (6-2, 218 lbs.) and Bryant (6-1, 205 lbs.).
Bryant dropped off last year, playing in just 13 games, catching 39 passes for 600 yards and four TDs. However, the year before he grabbed 83 balls for 1,248 yards and seven TDs.
Bryant is an intriguing option.
With him, the Redskins would solidify the receiving corps and could then turn focus completely to the offensive line situation.
It’s not as if the Redskins haven’t attempted to address the protection up front. They re-signed center Casey Rabach and brought in Hicks, but thus far, they have yet to find a pair of tackles.
The interior is taking shape.
Rabach will anchor the middle again with Derrick Dockery at left guard. Hicks is expected to start at right guard. Levi Jones and Stephon Heyer are likely the current starting tackles, meaning the Redskins will need to look at the remaining free agents and draft prospects for some starters.
The patience in Washington is refreshing.
The Redskins really didn’t need Julius Peppers. Larry Foote is a cheaper option than Karlos Dansby. Artis Hicks isn’t a guy the Redskins usually have on their radar.
The front office is one with an eye on the big picture.
Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen know this turnaround won’t happen overnight. They realize that breaking the bank this year won’t put them in contention for a Super Bowl.
So in an ordered, precise fashion, they are putting together components to compete.
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It’s as close to fact as you can get. The Green Bay Packers’ No. 1 item on their “things we need” list is a left tackle to protect their franchise quarterback for years to come. Is there anyone out there that can truthfully dispute that statement? Anyone?
Sure, a bookend OLB to pair with Clay Matthews and some DB help (CB, S, ANYTHING!) would be great. A real punter would be great. Those are all things I want to see happen, as well.
However, with often-injured unrestricted free agent Chad Clifton on a downward career slope, the all-important left tackle position must be addressed now. With any luck, the Packers will be able to bring Clifton back for at least one more year and draft a potential LT of the future.
The question is, will they be able to get that player at pick No. 23 in the first round and should they even try? Stay with me, I’ll explain what I mean.
Thanks to the friend-making machine known as Facebook, a Packer fan named Andy Tisdel alerted me to a blog post he had written. Andy had done some great research, identifying all of the starting left tackles in the NFL in 2009 and noting what round they were drafted in.
While you can read the post to get the full details, the end result was predictably that just over 50 percent of the starting left tackles in the NFL in 2009 were drafted in the first round.
So the Packers should draft an offensive tackle first, right? Not so fast. I had a feeling that if we dug a little deeper into the numbers, we might get a different answer.
Let’s take a quick look at the players in question and where they were drafted:
AFC
Colts: Charlie Johnson (sixth)
Titans: Michael Roos (second) Pro Bowler
Texans: Duane Brown (first, No. 26)
Jaguars: Eugene Monroe (first, No. 8 )
Steelers: Max Starks (third)
Browns: Joe Thomas (first, No. 3) Pro Bowler
Ravens: Jared Gaither (fifth)
Bengals: Andrew Whitworth (second)
Jets: D’Brickashaw Ferguson (first, No. 4) Pro Bowler
Patriots: Sebastian Vollmer (second) [Starter on IR: Matt Light, (second), Pro Bowler]
Dolphins: Jake Long (first, No. 1) Pro Bowler
Bills: Jonathan Scott (fifth)
Chargers: Marcus McNeill (second)
Raiders: Mario Henderson (third)
Chiefs: Branden Albert (first, No. 15)
Broncos: Ryan Clady (first, No. 12) Pro Bowler
NFC
Bears: Orlando Pace (first, No. 1) Pro Bowler
Packers: Chad Clifton (second)
Lions: Jeff Backus (first, No. 18)
Vikings: Bryant McKinnie (first, No. 7) Pro Bowler
49ers: Joe Staley (first, No. 28)
Cardinals: Jeremy Bridges (sixth)
Rams: Alex Barron (first, No. 19)
Seahawks: Sean Locklear (third) [Starter on IR: Walter Jones, (first, No. 6), Pro Bowler]
Cowboys: Flozell Adams (second) Pro Bowler
Eagles: Jason Peters (undrafted) Pro Bowler
Redskins: Levi Jones (first) [Starter on IR: Chris Samuels, (first, No. 3), Pro Bowler]
Giants: David Diehl (fifth) Pro Bowler
Saints: Jermon Bushrod (fourth) [Starter on IR: Jammal Brown, (first, No. 13), Pro Bowler]
Buccaneers: Donald Penn (undrafted)
Panthers: Jeff Otah (first) [Starter on IR: Jordan Gross, (first, No. 8), Pro Bowler]
Falcons: Sam Baker (first, No. 21)
Using the starters that were on IR rather than their replacements, the results tabulate as follows:
Round Drafted
first round: 17
second: 5
third: 2
fourth: 1
fifth: 3
sixth: 2
seventh: 0
Undrafted/supplemental: 2
TOTAL=32
Out of the 17 first round picks, 15 were selected 21st or higher. Only 12 percent of those first round tackles were drafted in the range where the Packers will be selecting.
Now let’s look at only the best of those left tackles; those that have made the Pro Bowl:
Round Drafted
first round: 11
second: 3
third: 0
fourth: 0
fifth: 1
sixth: 0
seventh: 0
Undrafted/supplemental: 1
Total=16
Eleven out of 16 (70 percent) of Pro Bowl left tackles were drafted in the first round. And even more significantly, eight of those 11 (73 percent) were top-10 picks. Of the other three, none were selected below No. 13.
Executive Summary
(for those of you whose heads are swimming right now)
Only two current starting left tackles were selected in the first round range where the Packers will be picking. More starting left tackles were selected in the later rounds and more Pro Bowl tackles were selected in the second round.
Statistically it’s a small sample size (your mileage may vary and past performance is not a guarantee of future results). But based on these figures, the chances of the Packers selecting a starting left tackle at the No. 23 pick is 12 percent. The chances of them selecting a future Pro Bowler is zero percent.
Yes, not one of the Pro Bowl tackles above selected in the first round went later than No. 13. Ironically, according to these numbers, they have a much better chance of finding a Pro Bowl tackle in the second round.
Sooooooooooooo, do the Packers still select an OT at No. 23 in the first round? What do YOU think?
You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter. Visit Jersey Al’s Packers Blog.
Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek .com. His articles appear on several sports Web sites: NFL Touchdown, Packers Lounge, and Packer Chatters.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
