If you haven't heard, Dolphins All-Pro linebacker Joey Porter is trying to whine his way out of Miami. And one of the teams he's trying to whine his way onto is the San Francisco 49ers.
Porter went absolutely Conan O'Brien on his current employers in an interview available On line Wednesday with Miami's WQAM. "I can honestly say I don't want to be back." Porter said of the Dolphins, and then detailed what he wants in his new team. "Being close to my family is big for me right now, later in my career, because I'm not in a situation where I want to move my kids back and forth. So close to California is possibly good."
The Niners' style of defense specifically suits Porter. "Teams that run 3-4 (defenses) out there, that situation's a good situation for me. San Diego, Arizona, San Francisco. Those are good fits."
Porter is just one year removed from a 17.5-sack, Pro Bowl season with the Dolphins. He also has the honor of tying for the #2 spot in Sports Illustrated's most recent "Dirtiest Players in the NFL" poll of active NFL players.
And during his time in Pittsburgh, Porter endeared himself to Steeler fans by beating up a division-rival Cincinnati Bengal at a blackjack table in 2007. There's a YouTube of it and everything! If you think Porter would sign with San Francisco and he and four of his buddies would then beat up Larry Fitzgerald in a casino, then you do that deal Scot McCloughan.
Putting Porter next to Patrick Willis would certainly juice up what was already the NFL's third-most potent sack attack. And if the Dolphins cut Porter, as they seem inclined to do so as to avoid paying him a March 1 roster bonus, the 49ers could sign him for far less than his current $5 million salary.
And the 49ers defense could get a whole lot dirtier in 2010.
Sports
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who is fine with Joey Porter, but not at all OK with the nickname "J-Peezy".
