NFL Salary Cap Casualty Dominoes Start to Fall

Forget all the talk about it being a thin year for free agents. The salary cap casualties are about to fall.

Just as they are every year, the Steelers are right up against the cap, so they may not have much wiggle room to sign quality free agents. So what? They've been 8-8 the past two years and have to jettison some of their own players -- for many reasons, including sucky performance, age and salary-cap implications.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are not cap experts -- we only play one on TV -- but if the Seattle Seahawks cut Red Bryant, we say, sign him! Don't even let him talk to another team. We've liked Bryant ever since he came out of Texas A&M (as a nose tackle) in 2008 and advocated drafting him. He would have been perfect on the Steelers' defenseive line and, better yet, her has a classic Steeler mentaltiy: tough, tenacious, fierce -- just what the defense needs right now.

Same with Cleveland Browns linebacker D'Quell Jackson. He is a quality inside thumper who's been stuck in Cleveland for too long. After leading Cleveland with 123 tackles last year, the Browns cut him. Unceremoniously. He's a good player, and well-respected around the NFL. 

The kicker: Jackson says he "wants to go some place with stability." Ding-ding-ding! Bingo!!! Welcome to Pittsburgh, D'Quell.

Atlanta just cut their Pro Bowl safety, again for salary cap reasons. sign him.  

Three new quality starters, one at each level on the defense. That would be a good start. Bring in a couple of draft choices, and the defense is on its way to being rebuilt.

More Intrigue involving the Cleveland Clowns "Braintrust"

The Cleveland Browns may take the prize for having the most bizarre and fascinating off-season in the NFL. Browns' owner Jimmy Haslam has set a tone of clownish buffoonery, and the franchise's off-season has been marked by false steps, mis-steps, blatant incompetence, tomfoolery, chicanery, skulduggery and hijinks of the most eyebrow-raising, head-shaking sort.

"Dysfunctional" has been the word most used in connection with the Browns, from the firing of head coach Rob Chudzinski, to the hiring of his replacement all the way through the front-office house-cleaning and now the latest story, which involves a possible trade for 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Considering Haslam's recent past as part of  the Steelers' ownership structure, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls can't help but wonder if he hasn't also had Mike Tomlin in his sights as a potential head coach -- and that would be maybe an even bigger coup than landing Harbaugh, considering that Tomlin has actually won a Super Bowl and is the current head coach of Cleveland's arch-rival.

For all that idle speculation, maybe a guy named Clowney would be the perfect first-round draft choice for the dysfunctional Browns. And Jadeveon Clowney just might be that draft choice, fourth overall. Based on his workout Monday at the NFL Combine, Clowney may go even higher than that -- but there are lots of questions associated with his work ethic and on-field productivity.

The more intriguing story is in Cleveland. On Friday, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk and NBC Sports broke the story that the Browns initiated and conducted serious discussions with the San Francisco 49ers involving a possible trade of players, draft picks and cash for head coach Jim Harbaugh. The story has gained legs, and legitimacy, ever since.

Maybe the clownish buffoonery we've seen this off-season from Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam is just a smokescreen. For all we know, the truck-stop titan who found himself under a cloud of possible indictment last October may be Jethro Bodine smart, if the talk out of San Francisco and Cleveland the past dew days is any indication.

For insight into the scenario involving Haslam's overtures to the 49ers regarding Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco Chronicle's Ann Killion offers excellent context here. For all the success he's had in San Francisco the past few years, apparently Harbaugh is not generally well-liked, according to Ms. Killion:

The past few days have been all about Jim Harbaugh. He has trumped Johnny Football, Vladimir Putin, Jason Collins and even Tonya-and-Nancy. Which is just the way he likes it. Because, as Harbaugh knows, you can't spell, "the team, the team, the team," without "me, me, me."

And then there's this from Ms. Killion, which makes us wonder about Mike Tomlin's contract status:

"Harbaugh has two years left on a contract that pays him $5 million a year. Maybe he's not worth as much as Sean Payton, the league's highest-paid coach who has won a Super Bowl, but Harbaugh is worth more in the current NFL marketplace than he's making. He hasn't won a Super Bowl - and his team wasn't as good in 2013 as it was in 2012 - but he has rescued the 49ers' reputation and been to three straight conference-championship games. Yet he isn't among the top 10 highest-paid coaches in the NFL. He makes the same as Dallas' Jason Garrett, less than the Eagles' Chip Kelly and is the third-highest-paid coach in his division."

Stay tuned.

The Combine

It's a bit early to get too excited about what's been happening so far at the NFL Combine. The sort of superficial impressions athletes running around in the "Underwear Olympics" can be misleading.  Too many great athletes are so-so football players.

"Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane" is an aphorism famously used to describe such players.

Initial impressions:

• We wonder about the Steelers' process at the Combine. Last year, they did not interview linebacker Jarvis Jones at the Combine. Kevin Colbert said it was because the Steelers thought Jones wouldn't drop to them at No. 17. Wouldn't you want to interview all potential first-rounders? Just in case? Maybe there's not enough time, but then again, we are talking about your first-rounder -- the potential linchpin of your team for years to come, and a multi-million dollar investment.

• Johnny Manziel looks small, but that was apparent before the Combine. Gut instinct says he will have a tough time staying healthy on a consistent basis. On the other hand, Fran Tarkenton had an extremely lengthy career, albeit in the pre-steroid, pre-HGH era. Still, we're skeptical about Manziel.

• Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns, uses a flip phone. A shot of him in the skybox over the weekend clearly showed him flipping open a feature phone and, apparently, either not getting a signal or dismissing a message or call, as he flipped it closed again in what seemed to be annoyance. How did the Rooneys ever allow him to buy into their operation? No wonder they put up no resistance to him buying the Browns. Joey Porter's Pit Bulls almost feel sorry for Cleveland fans, some of whom are good people. Haslam creates the impression of a not-too-bright, fast-talking scammer-buffoon who somehow finagled his way into a possibly bogus fortune. Maybe he's not the best owner in the NFL. It won't be long before he threatens to move the team. London's calling.

• We won't be surprised if "Johnny Football" Manziel ends up in Cleveland. That would be interesting.

• By all accounts, Michael Sam got an A-plus for how he conducted himself in the news conference. It's just the first step on a long, tough road ahead for him.

• Wide receiver Michael Evans caught everything and impressed everybody. He's big and fast. Lots of other impressive wide receivers showed their stuff, too. It's a deep draft for wide receivers.

The NFL Cesspool: Sheer Ugliness, Painted With a Very Broad Brush

Sometimes Joey Porter's Pit Bulls can't help but wonder what we're supporting with our cable TV payments and emotional/financial investment in the NFL. As much as we love the game itself ...

It's getting tougher and tougher to buy what the NFL is selling.

If you're a fan of the NFL, we recommend you read the entire "REPORT TO THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE CONCERNING ISSUES OF WORKPLACE CONDUCT AT THE MIAMI DOLPHINS."  Read the whole damn thing. All 144 pages.

And if you watch the NFL Network, you may have noticed the terse mention on Friday of Darren Sharper. He faces ugly criminal charges that are about as ugly as ugly gets without the word "murder" involved, as in the case of Aaron Hernandez.

Words that come to mind thinking about the NFL in the wake of these most recent stories: Shameful, despicable, sordid, criminal, idiotic, vile, base, offensive, disturbing, off-putting. Cesspool.

The report on the Dolphins was compiled by a law firm hired by the NFL to present findings on the escapades of the oafish Richie Icognito and his pals, Mike "Free Hernandez" Pouncey (twin brother of Steelers' center Maurkice "Free Hernandez" Pouncey), John Jerry and, apparently, the entire Dolphins coaching staff and management organization. If the coaches deny it, they're lying.

The Pouncey twins, wearing their cute little
"Free Hernandez" hats expressing their support of
accused murderer
Aaron Hernandez, former NFL player

The report makes clear and lays bare the sheer ugliness in Miami, and you can be pretty sure we're still not getting any near the full story. As columnist Greg Stoda of the Miami Herald wrote, "Forget locker-room mentality; the Miami Dolphins have a prison-yard mentality."

When all this broke a few months ago, any number of Incognito apologists made the point that the sort of behavior described in the report is common across the NFL, as if that makes it okay. If so, let's keep in mind our cable TV dollars pay for the precious "locker room culture" and lifestyle of the players described in the report.

Richie Incognito made nearly $5 million last year alone, even with the suspension. The 24-year-old Pouncey made nearly $3 million, and Jerry made more than $1.5 million. Five million dollars in one calendar year: In what other line of work could the incomprehensibly stupid, oafish, porcine, boorish, loutish, obtuse, bullying, dense Incognito make that kind of money?

And you wonder why your cable bill is so high?

How some people are able to maintain jobs is a wonder. You'd think Stephen Ross, the billionaire owner of the Dolphins, would want to clean house. Fire everybody. Sever ties with all the coaches and several players, including Incognito, Pouncey and Jerry and probably others.

Does Richie Incognito and his pals have sisters, mothers, wives and/or girlfriends? What do those women think about their boys now? The same guys who "jokingly" threatened to assault and gang-rape the sister and mother of Jonathan Martin, who threatened to kill Martin (even as fellow NFL player Aaron Hernandez [he of the "Free Hernandez" cap worn by the Pouncey twins] faces murder charges), and who threatened to shit in his mouth?

Karma has a way of swinging around on people. There is no way to polish the turds that Richie Incognito and his pals threatened to shit in the mouth of Jonathan Martin and fling at others in positions of weakness, including rookie players and the assistant trainer who happens to be of Japanese descent. If any NFL team adds Incognito to its roster, shame on them. They will have relinquished any claim to the word "character" ever again.

And then there's the NFL Network, the league's own. Darren Sharper, presumably, won't be on the NFL Network anytime soon. We'll just have to rely on Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp,. et al,  for the kind of precious insight, pithy wit, jocular mirth and "expert analysis" we just can't get anywhere else. Yeah.

Friday was a dark day for the NFL, and it's getting tougher and tougher to feel good about so much that the NFL presents. Why are we supporting these people anyway?  Roger Goodell?

Links:

Greg Doyel, CBS Sports: "After Richie Incognito Gets a Taste of His Own Medicine ..."

Slate: "The Best Report on Bullying Ever"

Will Brinson: "Dolphins Lack Leadership from Top to Bottom"

Deadspin:  "Darren Sharper Allegedly Drugged, Raped Women in Four States"

William Rhoden, The New York Times: "A Vile and Graphic Report"

The Sacramento Bee: "Harbaugh: Jonathan Martin Can Resume Successful NFL Career"

ALL HAIL THE RETURN OF JOEY PORTER!!!

Joey Porter and  friends

It's a great day in Pittsburgh. Joey Porter returns, and the Browns suck. Spectacularly. The Browns are a "constantly churning clown car." But we knew that. Enough about the Clowns.

In Pittsburgh, it's not just a great day, it's a glorious day. And Joey Porter's Pit Bulls have faithfully kept the candle burning, Peezy. Welcome back. And if your dogs Tina and Nemo are still with you, they're welcome, too, although not likely by the local equine population, keeping in mind they killed a horse. Which, naturally, inspired this blog in 2006. Not that we condone that sort of thing, although we must admit "A Letter From Joey Porter's Pit Bull" by The Mighty MJD (Matthew J. Darnell) is damn funny.

The Steelers announced on Tuesday that Joey Porter will join the coaching staff as a defensive assistant, a role that generally involves grunt work and film review. We guarantee, however, that Mike Tomlin isn't bringing in the former Pro Bowler to do grunt work. Joey Porter's coming in to kick some ass.

Joey Porter will bring with him the fire and intensity the Steelers have been sorely lacking the past few years. He can't help himself. That's who he is.

What's more, Joey Porter will bring the Voice of Reason, just as as he did in his heyday. Remember when he called out Jerame Stevens before the Super Bowl? The Voice of Reason. Remember when he called the Indianapolis Colts soft? The Voice of Reason. Remember when he stood up to the Baltimore Ravens, on any number of occasions? The Voice of Reason. As crazy as he may have sounded at times, Joey Porter made sense when it mattered most. For better or worse, he routinely set the tone ... raucously, outrageously and honestly.

Joey Porter is a veritable statesman.  And the Steelers need his wisdom as much as they need his passion. They also need his experience and expertise teaching linebackers to play the position.

His job, presumably will be to tutor the young linebackers, starting with 2013 first-rounder Jarvis Jones, 2013 sixth-rounder Vince Williams, 2014 first-rounder C.J. Mosley (Alabama) and 2014 fourth-rounder Michael Sam (Missouri).

Yeah, that Michael Sam. And why not?

The facile, NFL-politically correct answer to that question is Sam is a "tweener" as an undersized defensive end.  According to the Missouri Tigers website, Sam is listed at 6'2", 255, which is three inches taller and about the same weight as another undersized defensive end who has had some success in the NFL: Elvis Dumervil, not that anybody is comparing the two players. It's worth making the point, however, that similarly sized defensive players can make an impact in the NFL.

The Steelers themselves have a history of drafting undersized defensive ends and turning them into linebackers. It worked well for Joey Porter himself; not so well in the case of Chris Carter (6'1", 248), among others.

By all accounts, Sam's brief trial at linebacker during the Senior Bowl practice week did not go especially well. He may be better off to stay at defensive end. He might be a better fit for a team with a scheme that feature smaller defensive ends. The Steelers' defensive ends are at least 290 pounds.

Sam could hardly have accomplished more in college or piled up more accolades. He was a unanimous First-Team All-American, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and his own teammates named him Team MVP after a season in which the Tigers went 12-2 and won the Cotton Bowl.  

Oh, and there's that other issue that shall go unnamed, but ... For what it's worth, his teammates selected Sam as Team MVP after the season and long after he came out in a team meeting in spring camp.

One thing that scouts shouldn't question is his "character." He made the announcement knowing full well what he's in for, and that took courage and character. He'll be taunted, threatened, jeeered, ridiculed, teased, jibed, goaded, drawn into fights, and degraded. He knows that.

Michael Sam will be the center of attention at the NFL Combine and on Draft Day, just like Mante Te'a was last year. It will be interesting to see where Sam ends up in the NFL. Let's hope for his sake it is not Cleveland.

Links:

ESPN:  "Joey Porter Will Turn Up the Volume"

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls (Feb. 13, 2010):  "Good Luck, Peezy"

Gene Collier: "NFL Trying to Find the Right Words Dealing With Michael Sam Situation"

Frank Bruni (The New York Times):  "Panic in the Locker Room!"

Kissing Suzy Kolber: "Steelers Bring Back Joey Porter to Teach the Way of Peezy"

Behind the Steel Curtain:  "C.J. Mosley Doesn't Have Many Weaknesses"

Over his head

Peyton Manning didn't see it coming: the first snap of the Super Bowl.
It was a portent of things to come on a long, dark evening for the Broncos, as it all went downhill from there. 

"The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle"

We should have predicted the Seahawks would win by 35 points. Anybody could have seen that coming, right?

That display by the Broncos was pathetic and embarrassing.

Congratulations, Seattle.

Super Funday Groundhog Day

John Stallworth, Super Bowl X

"If the Super Bowl is the ultimate game, why do they play it every year?"
-- Duane Thomas, running back, Dallas Cowboys, 1972


Say what you will about Peyton Manning, he know where he wants to throw the ball. Unlike Ben Roethlisberger, Manning is rarely accused of holding onto the ball too long.

As he long as he knows his receivers are going to be where he can count on them to be, Manning will get the ball to them. Decisively, and with dispatch.

If Seattle's very fine corners can disrupt Denver's very fine wide receivers from getting into their routes, however, Manning may hesitate just long enough to double-clutch. When he's forced to improvise, he is not at his best (unlike Ben Roethisberger). Manning likes everything to be just so. Perfect.

The one flaw in this equation, for Seattle, is they may not have a slot corner who matches up well with Wes Welker. Or that beast of a tight end, Julius Thomas (6'5", 250), who may draw the attention of Seattle's excellent, hard-hitting safety Kam Chancellor (6'3", 232).

Maybe Seattle's other excellent safety, Earl Thomas, gets Welker; still not a good matchup for Seattle.

For Seattle, too, Richard Sherman (as good as he is, and he will be the first to tell you that), Denver has two wideouts who match up well physically with the 6'3" cornerback. Both Demaryius Thomas (6'3", 229; 2013 stats: 92 receptions; 1,430 yards and 14 TDs) and Eric Decker (6'3", 214; 2013 stats: 87 receptions, 1,288 yards and 11 TDs ) are tall, fast and physical.

It should be interesting.

As to another angle for tonight's game, each team's unique home field advantage is nullified. The Broncos will presumably miss the mile-high altitude advantage; the Seahawks will presumably miss the 12th man crowd noise. If the weather is as predicted, about 40 with rain, it will feel like a home game for the Seahawks.

Both cities are incredible; both sets of fans are passionate. Peyton Manning is one for three in Super Bowls. No Seahwaks player has appeared in a Super Bowl.

Worthless prediction #89: Broncos win by 17. The Seahawks aren't built to play from behind.  If Denver jumps out to a quick lead and makes this a shootout, look out Loretta.