Porter and Free Agency
By CK Stiller
Porter
Porter being cut came as a surprise to me. I have been critical of his play, but I figured the team would let him play out his contract. Already thin at LB, the only scenario in which I didn�t think he would be on the team next year was if he held out. That may have ultimately contributed, as his agent would not guarantee he would not hold out. Still, this is a bold move for a new coach that will leave him open to second guessing from an ignorant media and parts of the fan base that were unable to come to terms with Porter�s mediocrity.
The truth is, I have mixed feelings on the cut. As I said, I didn�t expect the cut with the current LB situation. Porter at this point could be a much better 4-3 OLB than a 3-4 OLB. The Steelers seem to be making a transition. Right now, they have no one who would be as natural outside. Farrior may make it work, but I have doubts in regards to Haggans. Foote alone inside scares me.
Then, I can see definite advantages. First, it�s nice to see that Tomlin isn�t scared of change. Part of my reasoning on the Porter situation was that the Steelers wouldn�t want to start a rookie outside. Well, now it seems like they won�t have a choice. Can you imagine Cowher making such a decision? Rookies under him have always had to pay their dues behind often times less talented vets before getting on the field.
The team was going to have to draft LB�s in this draft. Maybe 2-3, including two on the first day. Now it�s simply even more obvious. I expect a tweener prospect such as Anthony Spencer in R1, who will add some versatility to the defense. The team could also take a look at a true MLB or OLB later in the draft. By R3, I�m expecting two LB�s (similar to the situation with receivers last year).
Porter had been a mediocre player since 2003. Throughout that time his play has been inconsistent and a generally overrated player. His pass rushing skills were weak. The exception was the home stretch of 2005. While some of his plays were made because of the scheme, others were just great plays. He got the edge on Indy�s tackles (something he couldn�t do all of last season against anyone). Denver foolishly tried to block him with backs and TE�s. He was a key contributor down the stretch, and earned himself a prominent place in Steelers history for those games alone. He was a key part of winning that fifth ring. Even in his decline, he had great range for a LB in coverage, and played the run well. He can still be a contributor for teams in this league, and would be an upgrade over what many other teams have. He is still superior to every LB on the Patriots roster, which is saying something. But for his price tag and production, he simply wasn�t what the Steelers needed at the OLB position.
Free Agency
By releasing Porter, the Steelers increased their free cap space to 8 mil. That would leave the Steelers with roughly 4-5 mil to work with in free agency this year. They may be a bit more active this year, although I can�t foresee anything too big. There are a number of contributors I see out there flying under the radar.
Reggie Kelly - The Bengals have surprisingly not re-signed him yet, and it seems that he will hit the market. Kelly is a great blocking TE. Elite in that regard. As a pass catcher, he has shown flashes. There simply aren�t many opportunities in an offense with those receivers. He would be a major upgrade over Tuman in every facet of the game. He would be a cheap solution to the back-up TE position.
Jermaine Wiggins - He was recently cut by the Vikings; an odd move. Wiggins is still a good receiving TE who caught over 50 passes last season. Coming from Minnesota, he may appeal to Tomlin. He�s not a great blocker, but then neither is Tuman.
Daniel Graham - Great blocker and a good receiver. Likely too expensive for the Steelers�especially as a back-up.
Eric Johnson - Maybe the best pass catcher of this group. He is a Pro Bowl caliber player when healthy (the key here). It will be interesting to see what he gets on the open market. Somewhat of a gamble, but with a great reward if it pays off.
Kelly Washington - I don�t see a big need at receiver, but I like the potential of a fourth receiver such as Washington. He�s young, and has great potential. At 6�4, he adds size that is lacking from the Steelers receiving core. He�s also fast, though. He ran a 4.52 coming out to go along with his 38 inch vertical. He�s been caught behind three very good receivers, on a team that is loaded top to bottom. Washington would be a cheap replacement for Wilson, and would have a great deal of potential.
Carlos Polk - A back-up on the Chargers. Young. Has had some injuries. Looked ok filling in. The Chargers have depth at LB like the Steelers once had. Polk could be a potential starter some day. At the least he would add some quick depth at a position that badly needs it.
Ryon Bingham - Another back-up on the Chargers. He�s got the size to play either DE or NT in a 3-4, and a DT in a 4-3. He played behind Jamaal Williams last season. Would provide depth to a DL in transition. May even be a cheaper solution to Hoke. Instant upgrade over Kirschke and Bailey.
Kimo Von Oelhoffen - Kimo is apparently on the outs in New York. If they cut him, I can�t see a reason not to grab him. Like Bingham, he�s an instant upgrade over what the Steelers have behind the starters. Kimo was still playing at a pretty high level last year. He would be cheaper than Kirschke at this point (who is somehow earning 2.4 mil next year). I would love to see him back in the black and gold.
Bingham and Kimo would give the Steelers a solid 6 man DL rotation. The big concern with a move to a 4-3 is depth inside at the tackle spot. These two would take care of that.
All of this said, the odds are clearly against the Steelers signing these guys. They are just players who, looking at the available free agents, would help fill some holes on the team�and do it all cheaply. If the Steelers cut Gardocki, Kirschke, Wilson, Tuman, and Kriedwaldt, they could easily afford all of these guys and maybe have cap room to spare. They would probably upgrade across the board. I would expect them to take a look at some of these positions in FA regardless.