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Rams released LB Pisa Tinoisamoa


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I could be wrong, but thought that Mitchell played primarily the SAM and Ellison the WILL. When Mitchell blitzed, Scott picked up the TE.

 

We would be looking to upgrade from Ellison at the WILL spot.

Ooh, I think you're right. If that's the case then what an addition Pisa would be.

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LB Pisa Tinoisamoa

 

6'1

 

240 lbs

 

27 years old

 

10 sacs / 7 int / 445 tackles (lead on St.Louis last year)

 

4.65 speed

 

GET HIM! seriously

 

Who gets Rams' games broadcast to their tv sets? I guess those with NFL Network or some such could hunt the their games down. But who does?

 

I can't say I have a memory of ever seeing this guy play.

 

It's like this buzz for Levi Jones. Who goes out and makes an effort to watch the B'gals? I have, and hold an opinion about him, but that's just because that's what is shown week after week after week. Year after year after year... :censored:

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Bills should pounce on this guy. The only thing that concerns me is that why did the Rams decide to release him. Was it a cap concern or just that he was not getting along with the new coach or the new system or is he just not that good. Either way he is better than anything we currently have on our roster. From what I hear he had a few injury plagued seasons but he had a healthy 2008 and a good 2008.

 

While I don't think the Bills front office is going to make this move because he might have other teams driving up his price but they would be fools to at least not take a good look at him and see what the market value for him is.

 

He fits one of our biggest needs and maybe the biggest needs on the defensive side of the ball.

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The only thing that concerns me is that why did the Rams decide to release him. Was it a cap concern or just that he was not getting along with the new coach or the new system or is he just not that good.

 

This could be like the John McCargo case where there was too much friction between coach and player due to injury but the difference being that the coach is staying and the player is leaving, unlike the Buffalo situation.

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It's like this buzz for Levi Jones. Who goes out and makes an effort to watch the B'gals? I have, and hold an opinion about him, but that's just because that's what is shown week after week after week. Year after year after year... :censored:

Sorry if I missed it, but what is your take on Levi?

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Found this on a Rams message board:

 

Updated: St. Louis Rams release Pisa Tinoisamoa

By Jim Thomas

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

Coach Steve Spagnuolo likes bigger linebackers, and one thing Pisa Tinoisamoa lacks is size. The Rams have released the veteran linebacker, who led the team in tackles last season with 135, but really doesn’t fit into Spagnuolo’s overall vision for the defense at 220 pounds.

 

With the move, Chris Draft likely will move over to man the starting strongside linebacker position and second-round draft pick James Laurinaitis becomes the starting middle linebacker.

 

“This was a difficult decision based on a lot of factors,” Spagnulo said in a statement released by the team. “I have a great deal of respect for Pisa and wish him all the best.”

 

Tinoisamoa, 27, was a second-round draft pick by the Rams out of Hawaii in 2003. That season, he became the first rookie in franchise history to lead the team in tackles. He registered 121 stops for the Rams’ 2003 NFC West division championship squad. He also led the squad in stops in ‘04 (with 145) and ‘05 (with 134).

 

At his best, Tinoisamao played with speed and passion. He could go sideline to sideline, and wasn’t afraid to take on blockers _ be they fullbacks or 330-pound blockers. But he had a tendency to overrun plays, and while willing, frequently would get wiped out by those bigger blockers.

 

Hand, knee, shoulder, elbow, and ankle injuries struck in ‘06 and ‘07, forcing Tinoisamoa to miss 12 of 32 games. But he stayed healthy last season, playing all 16 games for the fourth time in six NFL seasons.

 

Tinoisamoa was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2006 season, but five games into that campaign he signed a $24.7 million contract extension through 2011. This coming season, TInoisamoa was scheduled to make a base salary of $3.25 million and count $4.25 million against the cap.

 

Releasing him frees up $2.25 million in cap space. Once they sign their rookies and pay off some incentives and escalators that kick in on other contracts, the Rams would have been tight against the cap prior to Tinoisamoa’s release.

 

Tinoisamoa basically became a man without a position when the new coaching staff decided to switch Will WItherspoon from middle linebacker to Tinoisamoa’s weakside linebacker spot earlier this offseason. With Laurinaitis and Draft in the middle that left only the strongside position for Tinoisamoa.

 

The strongside position frequently requires the linebacker to take on tight ends, and at 220 pounds, Tinoisamoa is far from ideal size for that role.

 

Barring the addition of another veteran in free agency, the Rams are paper thin at the position, at least in terms of proven talent. Current backups Larry Grant, David Vobora, Chris Chamberlain are fringe players. Quinton Culberson opened the 2008 season at strongside linebacker, but played poorly and was replaced by Draft in the lineup after just three games.

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Found this on a Rams message board:

 

Updated: St. Louis Rams release Pisa Tinoisamoa

By Jim Thomas

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

Coach Steve Spagnuolo likes bigger linebackers, and one thing Pisa Tinoisamoa lacks is size. The Rams have released the veteran linebacker, who led the team in tackles last season with 135, but really doesn't fit into Spagnuolo's overall vision for the defense at 220 pounds.

 

With the move, Chris Draft likely will move over to man the starting strongside linebacker position and second-round draft pick James Laurinaitis becomes the starting middle linebacker.

 

"This was a difficult decision based on a lot of factors," Spagnulo said in a statement released by the team. "I have a great deal of respect for Pisa and wish him all the best."

 

Tinoisamoa, 27, was a second-round draft pick by the Rams out of Hawaii in 2003. That season, he became the first rookie in franchise history to lead the team in tackles. He registered 121 stops for the Rams' 2003 NFC West division championship squad. He also led the squad in stops in '04 (with 145) and '05 (with 134).

 

At his best, Tinoisamao played with speed and passion. He could go sideline to sideline, and wasn't afraid to take on blockers _ be they fullbacks or 330-pound blockers. But he had a tendency to overrun plays, and while willing, frequently would get wiped out by those bigger blockers.

 

Hand, knee, shoulder, elbow, and ankle injuries struck in '06 and '07, forcing Tinoisamoa to miss 12 of 32 games. But he stayed healthy last season, playing all 16 games for the fourth time in six NFL seasons.

 

Tinoisamoa was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2006 season, but five games into that campaign he signed a $24.7 million contract extension through 2011. This coming season, TInoisamoa was scheduled to make a base salary of $3.25 million and count $4.25 million against the cap.

 

Releasing him frees up $2.25 million in cap space. Once they sign their rookies and pay off some incentives and escalators that kick in on other contracts, the Rams would have been tight against the cap prior to Tinoisamoa's release.

 

Tinoisamoa basically became a man without a position when the new coaching staff decided to switch Will WItherspoon from middle linebacker to Tinoisamoa's weakside linebacker spot earlier this offseason. With Laurinaitis and Draft in the middle that left only the strongside position for Tinoisamoa.

 

The strongside position frequently requires the linebacker to take on tight ends, and at 220 pounds, Tinoisamoa is far from ideal size for that role.

 

Barring the addition of another veteran in free agency, the Rams are paper thin at the position, at least in terms of proven talent. Current backups Larry Grant, David Vobora, Chris Chamberlain are fringe players. Quinton Culberson opened the 2008 season at strongside linebacker, but played poorly and was replaced by Draft in the lineup after just three games.

 

Great find. This guy really looks like he could be a steal. It makes sense as to why the Rams let him go but he's exactly what the bills are looking for.

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