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08 May 2009

Rams Release Pino Tinoisamoa

You don't see a team waive its leading tackler very often, but I guess this is a case of new coach, new system, and Tinoisamoa is too small for Steve Spagnuolo. Somewhere out there is a Tampa-2 team that needs a smaller linebacker. Although -- man, the number of Tampa-2 teams has dropped, hasn't it? Buffalo might be a good fit.

Posted by: Aaron Schatz on 08 May 2009

19 comments, Last at 30 May 2009, 12:31pm by Dan

Comments

1
by rk (not verified) :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 2:11pm

Pino?

7
by The Ninjalectual :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 3:16pm

Tinoisamoa?

"Just look at that pumpkin."
-John Madden, looking at the moon.

2
by tuluse :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 2:20pm

Although -- man, the number of Tampa-2 teams has dropped, hasn't it?

As a Bears fan this actually makes me happy. Less demand on talent like Pino.

3
by Dan :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 2:26pm

Yeah, the Bears could use a SAM, where Hillenmeyer & Roach are battling it out. Unless they think they have something in Jamar Williams, Marcus Freeman, or Joey LaRocque.

4
by tuluse :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 2:31pm

I'm guessing this guy is more of a WILL, but I was just talking in general.

19
by Dan :: Sat, 05/30/2009 - 12:31pm

As I foretold, so it has come to pass.

6
by Jimmy :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 3:09pm

It is also great timing for the Bears when they have just shipped two first round picks to get Cutler. Angelo should have a good time over the next few years finding low round talent judged too small to play in most schemes.

5
by hardcore (not verified) :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 3:00pm

Pisa. His name is Pisa.

8
by dryheat (not verified) :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 3:40pm

Yes. How odd that FO made the same mistake PFT did, when all they had to do was look at the page they linked to.

11
by Temo :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 5:25pm

Aaron's been letting Barnwell do all his work for him, he's off his game.

9
by drobviousso :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 4:03pm

I hear that San Fran's Cabernet 'Bottle Shock' Williams is probably going to be let go too.

10
by Tim R :: Fri, 05/08/2009 - 4:22pm

Don't really get why they released him. I know he's smallish but do the Rams really have anyone better ready to step in? I don't think his cap number was that large either, though I could be mistaken.

12
by Kalyan :: Sat, 05/09/2009 - 4:52am

Don't the Patriots need like 3 or 4 linebackers for this season.

One down, 2 more to go ...

14
by Rich Conley (not verified) :: Sat, 05/09/2009 - 2:12pm

Not particularly.

Thomas is playing WLB, Crable/Woods/Redd will play SLB, Guyton SILB, and Meyo WILB. They've got a ton of developmental guys who look good. That SLB is the only one thats questionable, and Tinoisamoa isn't nearly big enough to play it.

Seems silly to realease the guy. they could have got something for him, right?

13
by Mr Shush :: Sat, 05/09/2009 - 12:48pm

Yeah, I guess the success of the Steeler, Giant and Raven defenses with their complicated blitzes, coupled with the constant hiring of former Patriot assistants as head coaches has lead to a trend away from the Tampa-2 as a base defense. The Bills and Bears clearly still run it, the Colts will presumably still run it under Coyer as they don't have the personnel to do anything else, and there's some reason to think that the Texans plan to start running it, although neither Frank Bush nor anyone else in the organisation appears to be willing to comment meaningfully on what the defense will be doing. That's probably it.

15
by Jimmy :: Sat, 05/09/2009 - 7:47pm

In Denver Coyer blitzed like he genuinely didn't know any other plays. I suspect he is going to try the same thing again. It will help the run defense a bit, even if it becomes more boom and bust. However the pass defense could be catastrophically bad, Bailey is a great corner but had a down year as he allowed some big plays when left on an island over and over again. The Colts don't have any corners particularly well suited to man coverage. If I were a Colts fan I would be very worried about Coyer's plans for the defense.

As for the Texans the personnel they drafted would seem to me to indicate a possible shift to a 4-3 under front like the Cards used last year. The big athletic linebackers would fit in perfectly with that scheme.

16
by Mr Shush :: Sat, 05/09/2009 - 8:54pm

The only big, athletic linebacker on Houston's roster is Cushing. Ryans is an undersized guy in the Vilma-Tatupu mould, and the WLB spot will be a camp contest between Xavier Adibi and Cato June, who are both also small and fast. Zac Diles, who will be the primary back-up to both Cushing and Ryans, is also on the small side (though not really terribly fast). All the corners except Reeves and possibly Molden are better suited to playing zone. Okoye is a natural 3-technique tackle: if he's not a total bust (and the jury's still out on that) then he's best suited to the Warren Sapp role. Barwin's going to play DE exclusively. He's likely to be a situational pass-rusher this year, and if he develops as the team hopes he'll become a starter by 2010, probably moving Williams over to the strong side. Bill Kollar, the new defensive line coach, was hired away from Buffalo, where I believe I'm right in saying the base D is Buc-2. Certainly not conclusive, but I think the signs point to that being the basis of the new defense in Houston.

I know Coyer loved man-coverage and blitzing during his time in Denver, but he has just spent two years working under Monte Kiffin, so he has at least some familiarity with the scheme. I can't imagine Indy would have turned the keys over to him if he'd insisted on changing it.

17
by Jimmy :: Sun, 05/10/2009 - 5:46pm

I'll cheerfully defer to you on Houston's defensive scheme. It just seemed to me that some of the players they have brought in fit the under 4-3 scheme much better than the Tampa2. I would be very worried about the safeties in a Tampa2.

As for Indy, everything I have read about the possible scheme changes (which isn't all that much (they seem to be very tight lipped) indicates that they plan on blitzing a lot more to help the run game. This will mean eight in the box to fill every gap with an extra player to make the tackle. They still seemed to be planning on using similar personel (ie small, quick front seven guys) but changing the emphasis of the defense to attacking more. It may have been why Meeks was forced out. The same scheme in Denver just got all the linebackers hurt and as the DTs failed to provide consistent support the whole scheme fell to pieces. I could be wrong, I guess we will have to wait for better evidence.

18
by Mr Shush :: Mon, 05/11/2009 - 4:36am

I think the main problem with Houston's safeties is that, Eugene Wilson aside, they pretty much suck. One or two (depending on where Glover Quin ends up playing) were taken in this year's draft, so I guess there's a chance one of them is this year's Ko Simpson or Dawan Landry. Failing that, though, I'm not sure I'm likely to be happy with the other safety spot in any scheme.

You could well be right about the direction the Colts are going in. I would bear in mind, though, that all Coyer's Denver defenses were at least above average in DVOA, and one of them (2005, I think) was legitimately elite. Denver's era of disastrous defense started when Coyer was sacked and replaced with Bates.

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