Is Joey Porter the NFL's Most Overrated Player?

Sam LJun 9, 2007

CBS SportsLine's Pete Prisco recently wrote an article in which he called new Dolphins acquisition Joey Porter the most overrated player in the NFL. His reasoning went as follows:

- The five-year, $32 million contract with $20 million in guaranteed money that Porter received from Miami is far too generous for a 30-year-old linebacker.

- Porter has become a big-name player more for his notorious demeanor than for his play on the field.

- Porter's seven sacks in 2006 are misleading, since six of them came in three games. In his eleven other games, Porter only recorded one sack.

So is Prisco right?

I certainly agree that Porter is overrated, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him the most overrated player in the league.

What is it that makes a player overrated? In most cases, it's a persona that exceeds the player's abilities on the field.

The "overrated" label is tailor-made for guys like Joey Porter—players whose images are based as much on fire and passion as they are on actual ability.

By willfully crafting his public aura, Porter has made himself a target for criticism whenever he doesn't play like a Hall-of-Famer. If you're going to talk the talk, as they say, you've also got to walk the walk.

Think of it like this: If Zach Thomas had a down year, would people brand him overrated? Probably not because Thomas never brings attention to himself with his words.

I'm not criticizing Porter's personality here; it is, after all, what makes him such an effective leader. Still, he's got to accept that any player who acts like he does effectively puts himself under the microscope at all times.

Another consideration is salary. Prisco's argument that Porter is overpaid is a valid one. My counter-argument would be that the rising salary cap has resulted in huge salary increases across the board.

The Dolphins had money to spend this offseason, and they made sure to lock up Porter before he could visit any other teams. Prisco's probably right that the deal is too hefty for a 30-year-old linebacker but not outrageously so.

Still, the $20 million in guaranteed money means that Porter is bound to be the victim of inflated expectations in Miami. However well he plays, he's already been set up for the overrated tag.

As far as Porter's actual play, the point Prisco makes about six of his sacks coming in three games is legitimate. If Porter is as inconsistent in 2007 as he was in 2006, Miami fans will have good cause to be disappointed.

But Prisco only examines one year of Porter's career. Porter battled hamstring issues for much of the 2006 season, missing two games as a result. It's understandable that his production was erratic.

I also must note this completely absurd quote from Prisco's article: According to an AFC personnel director, "3-4 outside linebacker(s)...are expected to get double-digit sacks at the least." (Emphasis added.)

Are you kidding me? Of last year's Pro Bowl outside linebackers, only Shawne Merriman and Terrell Suggs have tallied double-digit sacks more than once. Adalius Thomas, Julian Peterson, and DeMarcus Ware have done it one time apiece; Derrick Brooks and Lance Briggs have never done it at all.

To call an outside 'backer overrated for failing to rack up double-digit sacks is ridiculous. Only six linebackers in the NFL pulled the feat last year. That hardly makes it a reasonable benchmark.

A more important fact, in my opinion, is the consistent excellence Porter has demonstrated over the course of his career.

In eight seasons, Porter has averaged 56 tackles, 5 passes defensed, 7.5 sacks, 2.25 forced fumbles, and 1.25 interceptions. If you disregard his rookie stats, those averages jump to 61 tackles, 6 PD, 8.25 sacks, 2.42 FF, and 1.43 INTs—and he's been at or around all of those numbers in each of the last three years.

Even though Porter recently turned 30, there's absolutely no reason to believe that he's due to hit a brick wall. Zach Thomas is three years older and hasn't showed any signs of slowing. Jason Taylor is two years older and only seems to get better with age. Porter may not be as durable as either of those two—but the fact is that the 30-year mark isn't as fatal for linebackers as it is for, say, running backs.

It's also worth noting that Porter brings much-needed vocal leadership to Miami, and that his addition immediately gives the Dolphins one of the three best linebacking corps in the league. And who knows—being surrounded by players like Thomas and Taylor might make Porter even better.

My final analysis: Is Joey Porter overrated? Yes but mostly because of his personality, not his play. Is he the most overrated player in the NFL? Not in my opinion.

I'd give that label to somebody like Michael Vick, Brett Favre, or Terrell Owens.

Check out all of Samuel's Dolphins commentary at his website Phinaticism.