I never, ever thought Joey Porter would leave the Pittsburgh Steelers. His intensity and the fact that he looked terrifying made him a perfect fit for a franchise that prides itself on tough SOBs at linebacker. But this is modern day sports, meaning players are constantly on the move. After being courted by several teams, Porter chose the Miami Dolphins, signing a five year, $32 million deal.
Porter doesn’t seem like a Miami Dolphin. He’s not the guy that would take the field wearing orange and teal. He’s not the type that would swim with dolphins. He’s more likely to eat a dolphin as a pregame snack than pet one. That’s why I’m not ready to say this deal makes sense. But regardless, the deal is done and it’s going to help Miami a lot.
It’s been quite an offseason for the Dolphins. Nick Saban has quit, which turned out to be salvageable after Miami hired one of the NFL’s hottest coaching prospects in Cam Cameron. Bringing Porter into the mix on defense makes Miami’s linebacker corps one of the league’s best. He’ll be alongside Zach Thomas and Channing Crowder. But how will he fare in the 4-3 defense is another question.
It’s a nice signing for Miami, make no mistake about it. But who’s going to throw the interceptions to this defense during training camp? Will Daunte Culpepper be healthy? Does Ricky Williams have functioning lungs? Perhaps we’ll get answers on Draft Day. But as of now, I’m still hesitant to make any predictions.
