4 p.m.

• One of the bigger surprises this NFL off-season, according to the “experts” at ESPN is the Steelers cutting linebacker Joey Porter.

The 29-year-old Porter, who was in the final year of his contract, had been the starting right outside linebacker since 2000, the year after he was drafted by the Steelers.

 

Porter was to receive a $1 million bonus on March 6, and was due to earn $4 million in 2007.

 

"It's a business decision that was made," Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said.

 

Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert said the salary cap was the reason Porter was cut.

 

Releasing Porter allows the Steelers to get under the NFL's $109 million salary cap by Friday, when the free agent signing period begins.

I was a bit taken back by this, too, although for a different reason. I knew Porter wasn’t going to be a Steeler for long, but I thought he’d finish the final year of his contract with the Steelers not resigning him for the 2008-09 season. Oh well, a new coach arrived so that means clean house, which isn’t a bad idea. Take it from me. Anytime you get into a position of authority, the first thing you should do, if you have the chance, if fire your predecessor’s secretary/assistant/etc. The reason for this is that no matter what you try to do to change your job/department in order to make it more efficient or perform better, you will be fought tooth and nail because “that’s not the way *insert predecessor’s name* did it,” and if you have nutless upper management, you are going to be in a world of hurt. Porter was an emotional guy and I’m sure the potential for trouble was a thought for the new Steeler coach Mike Tomlin, so I don’t blame him for wanting the cleanest slate possible when taking over a team that has had two head coaches since the late 1960s.