As everyone is now aware, the Miami Dolphins have released the "mouth of the south", outside linebacker Joey Porter. Porter was very vocal in his desire to be released after his role had been diminished in 2009. Porter is, for the most part, a loud mouthed, in your face, PITA. I dumped all over him after Spygate broke and he claimed that was why his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, had lost games to our New England Patriots. So be it. I still think he's a loud mouthed PITA, but bidness is bidness.
In a season that has seen the Patriots struggle on defense (especially in the pressure department), a maniacal, outspoken OLB could be the ticket. But, before NE should consider Joey, there are a number of questions that need to be answered. Why did HC Sparano (and Parcells) choose to diminish his role in 2009? I mean, the guy had 17.5 sacks in 2008. Is Joey's hatred for all things "Flying Elvis" really that deep or would dollars waved in his face change his mind? Could Belichick "rehab" Mr. Mouth? Is/Was he a locker room cancer?
Look, I can't stand Porter as much as the next NE fan, but this is the business of football and JP is a product worth considering, IMO. Maybe Adalius Thomas should go to Miami and we should take Porter. Maybe Joey is suffering from heat stroke and needs a little cold weather to shake him up. Maybe he hates us too much to even consider it. At any rate, it would be funny to hear him at his first press conference try to explain away this little nugget:
"My feelings toward New England go back further," Porter said. "It goes back to my Pittsburgh days. I felt a certain way, after some things came out, way back when I was in Pittsburgh, some AFC championships I lost to them, couple times. Come to figure out a few months later why we lost. So yeah, I have a natural hate for them. Period. And that’s just gonna be with me forever."
Maybe a little unemployment would change his mind. Maybe dollars change everything. Or maybe he's just too much of a punk to have around. Lots of maybes.