Another Brick In This Wall?

by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 28, 2009 6:33 PM EDT Comment 21 comments

Foote says decision to leave Steelers is his
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Larry Foote played a lot of football as a starting inside linebacker for the Steelers the past five seasons, and in a strange twist, his search for more playing time will cause them to release him.

Foote said he wants to continue his career as a starting linebacker where he can play more often and asked the Steelers to accommodate him. After finding no offers in a trade over the weekend of the draft, sources on the club say they plan to release him sometime after this weekend's minicamp, which Foote will not attend.

They were going to release him this morning, then decided to wait as they pursue last-ditch efforts to trade him.

"It was my doing," Foote told the Post-Gazette. "I wanted to go. They were trying to trade me.''

This would look good in a Bengals' uniform, next to Rivers and Maualuga, Brandon Johnson, and Dhani Jones, don't ya think?

via farm4.static.flickr.com

Poll

Should the Bengals try to pick up ex-Steeler LB, Larry Foote?

Yes, Dhani needs to tackle less globe, more QB

21 votes

No, no room at the Inn

45 votes

They aren't on the phone already?

32 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 21 comments

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Comments

Would be great, but...

like I said, I don’t think we have the roster spot for him given the Maualuga acquisition and salary concerns.

by jsl413 on Apr 28, 2009 6:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

and to boot he is a former Shittsburgh Steeler everyone in Cincy hates him

by cincyboy on Apr 28, 2009 7:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Would you really turn down the opportunity to have a good player just because he formerly played for a rival team? In the impossibly hypothetical scenario that Marvin White were traded straight up for Troy Polamalu, would you be upset to have Troy? I can’t imagine anyone sensible saying no.

by indesignkat on Apr 28, 2009 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

With the exception of big benji, I can’t think of any player on the stoolers who I dislike strongly enough to stop watching were the Bengals to acquire them.

But I would insist TP stop body-slamming our wideouts if we pick him up. Even mucho stinko doesn’t deserve that….

by FriarBob on Apr 28, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Even if the player in question was actually worse than our current one… although in that case I would get rather annoyed…

by FriarBob on Apr 28, 2009 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What I mean

is that he will never ever sign with Cincy.

by cincyboy on Apr 29, 2009 8:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

if the price is right, get Foote...

also, who is going to start at SAM?
Can Maualaga handle a position switch

and what about a 3-4 of
Sims-Peko-Tank
M. Johnson-Maualuga-Rivers-Geathers

On youtube, there are highlights of MJ dropping into coverage and making some plays at GT.

by R.F. Mehl on Apr 28, 2009 9:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

and what about a 3-4 of Sims-Peko-Tank

those are all DTs

M. Johnson-Maualuga-Rivers-Geathers

those are all OLBs, with the possible exception of Maualuga who was a college ILB who projects to NFL OLB. Also of note, M. Johnson has never shown any ability to do anything besides pass rush.

Your idea of a 3-4 is not like our Earth idea of a 3-4.

by indesignkat on Apr 28, 2009 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

In fairness, Tank could probably play DE in a 3-4, and I suspect Sims could as well. But well? There I have significant doubts.

As for the LBs tho, I fully agree. The lineup he proposes wouldn’t get to the runway at all much less off the ground.

by FriarBob on Apr 28, 2009 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Base 3-4

I don’t think we have the personnel to run it either.

Furthermore, this is Zimmer’s second year and we say how players were “getting it” towards the end to the season. It wouldn’t make sense to trip everyone up, starting from scratch, by going with a base 3-4.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Apr 28, 2009 11:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Not to mention we drafted for a 4-3.

There’s no room to switch to a 3-4. Maybe on some plays, but there’s no room for Foote on this roster.

by jsl413 on Apr 29, 2009 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it would be worth it- and a roster spot could be created, like Big Willie going to the Ravens, a good look inside LeBeau’s crafty mind and a LB good enough to start for the Steelers. Hell, I hate ‘em as much as the next Bengal fan but that D is awful damned good. Foote could take Dhani’s position, flanked eventually by either Rivers and Johnson or Rivers and Maualuga.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 29, 2009 8:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If they could lure Foote, I’d think he could be the MIKE, Rivers would be the WILL, and Maualuga would be the SAM. It seems Zimmer and Marvin aren’t confident Stingrey can handle the MIKE right out of the gate. So this would be a nice stop-gap move. Even though Dhani has time in the system, Foote’s aggressive nature would compliment The Stingrey quite nicely.
As far as the 3-4 or 4-3 argument, they wouldn’t have brought in the TANK if they were switching to a 3-4, as our good pal Cutman would say, “it’s pretty simple.”

3 yards and a pile of dust

by Hudepohl Dey on Apr 29, 2009 8:38 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Foote was going to make $2 mil. Tank signed for the minimum.To get Foote he would have to be willing to do about the same.I read where he is interested in playing for the Lions since that’s where he’s from.I imagine they will be willing to pay him a whole lot more than what the Bengals would offer.

by redberkey on Apr 29, 2009 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

$2 mil for Foote?

That sounds like a bargain to me. Hell, if he doesn’t work out, cut him.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 29, 2009 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The switch to a 4-3

Don’t overlook what happen to Joey Porter as well though. He went to the Dolphins and the first year he did so little I didn’t even think he was on the team anymore.

I would take Foote if we had not drafted Maualuga, but I am skeptical of LB’s from the Steelers 3-4 being able to transition to a 4-3. The Steelers are great at drafting players that fit their system, which means they might not always work in others.

And TP would look INCREDIBLE in a Bengals uniform.

It's still a good season if we go 2-14 and beat the Steeler twice.

by Bengals FTW on Apr 30, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

could you imagine

Troy and Rey in back seven?

by IgnatiusJReilly on Apr 30, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Porter had a carreer high number of sacks last year.

Sixsburgh is a linebacker factory and foote will be a starter on any of the 3-4 teams in the league with the salary to match. Two rings demonstrate more post season experience than the entire bungles defense put together.

I do think some 3-4 team willbe ableto justify paying him morethan Cincinnatti.

by steelerstyle on May 1, 2009 7:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Porter had a career high number of sacks

because Miami switched to a 3-4. That was my point, his first year there Miami was running a 4-3.

And I have no doubt Foote would be a starter on any of the 3-4 teams. So would all of Pittsburgh’s starting linebackers probably. That was not what I am saying. I am saying that I don’t know how many of Pittsburgh’s linebackers could make a transition to the 4-3.

And quit doing that same thing that every Pittsburgh fan does- you go straight to pointing out the rings. Which yea, when the question “Which franchise has won the most Super Bowl’s?” comes up, hey congratulations you take the cake. But Steelers fans use it too much to cover up when they have no good answer to valid points.

And you owe one of those rings to Mike Vanderjagt.

It's still a good season if we go 2-14 and beat the Steeler twice.

by Bengals FTW on May 1, 2009 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

4-3

I stand corrected. I didn’t know Miami had changed their linebacker scheme.

The point I was making was that Sixsburgh (Oh I love the ring to it when I say it aloud) just has a phenominal competitive advantage at LB because history has shown we elvaluate, coach and develope LB’s like no other team. We have had many LB s go on to do well at other teams over the years. Oh how I wish I could say the same about the OL

The thing about Foote is if he stays a Steeler he will be a backup this year behind Timmons.

by steelerstyle on May 2, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, I know........

that was the point were trying to make. That’s why I said it was probable that all of your starting LB’s could start on another 3-4 team……. Read much?

It's still a good season if we go 2-14 and beat the Steelers twice.

by Bengals FTW on May 4, 2009 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs