LB Pisa Tinoisamoa.........

[Pixote]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/05/fo...may_11_pis.html

 

I am intrigued with the possibility of obtaining this guy. Your opinions?

 

Q: Pisa Tinoisamoa was released Friday and I know the Bears and Lovie Smith wouldn't mind a productive veteran to round out their linebacker group. Is there any chance Chicago would go for him? Lovie is familiar with him from his days in St. Louis and he led the Rams in tackles last year. Does he play Hunter Hillenmeyer's or is it Nick Roach's spot? Or are the Bears trying to figure out if they're still a draft-driven team?

 

Sean Q, Arcata, Calif.

 

A: I don't think there is any question Tinoisamoa will be of interest to the Bears. As Smith likes to say, they're always exploring ways to make themselves a better football team. Given Tinoisamoa's track record with not just Smith but with defensive coordinator Bob Babich as well, he is someone that will surely come up in conversation at Halas Hall. It was somewhat of a surprise move that the Rams let him go last week after he led the team in tackles for four of six seasons but new coach Steve Spagnuolo is seeking bigger linebackers for his system. As Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed out, Tinoisamoa is listed at 6-1, 240 pounds, but he played at closer to 220 pounds last season. That didn't stop him from leading the team with 135 tackles. Tinoisamoa, who turns 28 in July, became the first rookie in franchise history to lead the team in tackles in 2003, Smith's final season in St. Louis when Babich was with him as linebackers coach. He made 121 tackles and added three interceptions and two sacks. He did so playing strong-side linebacker.

 

Tinoisamoa moved to weak side in 2004 after Smith departed but went back to strong side in 2005 and made 15 more starts there. He would be an interesting addition and if he came on board you would have to imagine he would immediately be the starter at strong side, pushing Roach to a backup role and putting Hillenmeyer into a position where he would be challenged to make the roster. Roach replaced Hillenmeyer during the season last year and they are expected to battle for the starting job right now, but Hillenmeyer has yet to fully heal up and with Roach promoted over him last year, he has to have the edge going in. Pursuing Tinoisamoa wouldn't alter any draft-driven plans at strong-side linebacker. Hillenmeyer was signed as a waived free agent and Roach was plucked off the Chargers' practice squad. There should be a handful of teams interested in Tinoisamoa and the New England Patriots could be one according to the Boston Globe. The Bears would have to pay some for his services too and the question that would need to be answered is how much the club wants to pay for a two-down player? He may have stayed on the field in the nickel package in St. Louis, but we don't see Brian Urlacher or Lance Briggs coming off the field in the nickel package. It's worth keeping an eye on him.

[madlithuanian]

I read that article earlier today.

 

I really have not been happy w/ Hilly and Roach...if the guy can come in and play that role, I'd be all for it. I would imagine cap space is not the issue.

 

 

 

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/05/fo...may_11_pis.html

 

I am intrigued with the possibility of obtaining this guy. Your opinions?

[balta1701-A]

This guy strikes me as an excellent addition for the Bears. A guy who's underrated because of his size but who will just do nothing but perform. Those are the kind of moves that turn good teams in to title contenders.

[HoofHearted]

I read that article earlier today.

 

I really have not been happy w/ Hilly and Roach...if the guy can come in and play that role, I'd be all for it. I would imagine cap space is not the issue.

 

Hx2 was very good for our system when he could stay with TEs, because he was always Johnny on the spot when it came to gap assignments and really never missed a beat for any job thrown his way. He was the uber solid smart guy we needed next to the two playmakers we have at LB. I don't know what happened these last two seasons, but his M2M on TEs has dropped significantly and that makes his "cerebral" and solid play a lot less valuable. Still though, I'm willing to see what he brings this year after fixing his hand and getting some time off his legs.

[defiantgiant]

I'd be happy with an upgrade at Sam linebacker, for sure, but I'm not sure he's it. The major knock on Tinoisamoa is his size. He's listed at 6'1" 240, but apparently he played closer to 220 last season. Even for the Tampa-2, that's much too small for a strong-side linebacker, and he didn't perform as well when St. Louis moved him from Will to Sam. He's a better fit on the weak side, since he's got great mobility and is good in coverage. He reminds me a little of Cato June - great Tampa-2 Will backer, but was kind of exposed when he tried to move to the strong side.

[Stinger226]

I'd be happy with an upgrade at Sam linebacker, for sure, but I'm not sure he's it. The major knock on Tinoisamoa is his size. He's listed at 6'1" 240, but apparently he played closer to 220 last season. Even for the Tampa-2, that's much too small for a strong-side linebacker, and he didn't perform as well when St. Louis moved him from Will to Sam. He's a better fit on the weak side, since he's got great mobility and is good in coverage. He reminds me a little of Cato June - great Tampa-2 Will backer, but was kind of exposed when he tried to move to the strong side.

He lost weight to move to the Will spot, he was productive playing at that weight when moved to Sam, have him put on a few pounds and plant him at the Sam, productive player and stick him with a couple of good LBs and may look real good.

[defiantgiant]

He lost weight to move to the Will spot, he was productive playing at that weight when moved to Sam, have him put on a few pounds and plant him at the Sam, productive player and stick him with a couple of good LBs and may look real good.

 

Where did you see that he was moved to the weak side? The Rams only switched him to SLB for minicamp last month, and it was reported that he had never played that position before in the NFL. Did he play Sam in college or something? As far as I know, he spent his whole Rams career through the end of last season, as a weak-side backer. If he can get up to a legitimate 240-245 pounds, he could definitely be an upgrade over Roach/Hillenmeyer, but if the reports about his playing weight last season are accurate, that could take a while. A 220-pound guy adding 20-25 pounds of good weight is a major undertaking.

[azbearsfan]

Where did you see that he was moved to the weak side? The Rams only switched him to SLB for minicamp last month, and it was reported that he had never played that position before in the NFL. Did he play Sam in college or something? As far as I know, he spent his whole Rams career through the end of last season, as a weak-side backer. If he can get up to a legitimate 240-245 pounds, he could definitely be an upgrade over Roach/Hillenmeyer, but if the reports about his playing weight last season are accurate, that could take a while. A 220-pound guy adding 20-25 pounds of good weight is a major undertaking.

 

 

Right here

 

Says he played 2003 and 2005 at SLB.

[defiantgiant]

Right here

 

Says he played 2003 and 2005 at SLB.

 

Huh, right you are. I wonder why Rotoworld was saying he'd never played there before. Well, provided that he can put on the necessary weight, I'd be all for replacing Roach/Hillenmeyer. Especially since Visanthe Shiancoe looked like a legit receiving threat at TE last season. Of all tight ends with at least 40 catches, the only one with a higher YPC than Shiancoe was Tony Scheffler in Denver.

 

If Shiancoe keeps playing like he did in 2008 and Brandon Pettigrew is as good as advertised, I think Chicago's going to need a really good Sam 'backer. Not to mention we play Atlanta again this year: Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez could be lethal.

 

If Lovie thinks Pisa can be an upgrade over our current strong side LBs, then I hope he's the next item on Angelo's shopping list.

[madlithuanian]

He's always been a smart player and hard worker, but I just have never ben enthralled. I think he lacks too much speed and athleticism. And he's slowed down even more recently. Part of what helped him succeed was the front four when playing well and obviously Urlacher, Briggs and M. Brown. I've been trying to replace him for years! I wanted Derrick Johnson a few years back to name one instance.

 

I'm just ready for a change there...have been for a while.

 

 

 

Hx2 was very good for our system when he could stay with TEs, because he was always Johnny on the spot when it came to gap assignments and really never missed a beat for any job thrown his way. He was the uber solid smart guy we needed next to the two playmakers we have at LB. I don't know what happened these last two seasons, but his M2M on TEs has dropped significantly and that makes his "cerebral" and solid play a lot less valuable. Still though, I'm willing to see what he brings this year after fixing his hand and getting some time off his legs.

[Pixote]

Looks like things may be slipping in my hopes of a "Pisa" signing.

 

Tinoisamoa visits One Bills DriveChris Brown, Lead Journalist

 

Posted May 14, 2009

 

Free agent linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa visited with the Bills’ coaching staff on Thursday.

 

The outside linebacker was the leading tackler for St. Louis in 2008 with 135 tackles as compiled by the Rams’ coaching staff. Tinoisamoa (6’1”, 230) has spent his entire NFL career with St. Louis, but was released by the club in a salary cap move last week.

 

The six-year veteran has been a starter since his rookie season when the Rams made him a second-round draft choice. An athletic, fast moving linebacker, Tinoisamoa would be a good fit in Buffalo’s scheme.

 

In fact the Rams drafted Tinoisamoa for a very similar defensive scheme to the one Buffalo runs now. St. Louis ran a version of the ‘Tampa 2’ system under their defensive coordinator at that time Lovie Smith. A member of that defensive staff during two of Tinoisamoa’s first three seasons with the Rams was Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell.

 

Despite a couple of seasons compromised by injury in 2006 and 2007, Fewell sees the same player he remembers from his coaching days with the Rams.

 

“He’s still that rangy, athletic linebacker that moves very well,” said Fewell. “Early this past season he was used mainly in coverage, but toward the end of the year he was used more as a blitzer. So that was an interesting added dimension to his game that we saw on tape. But yes, he has shown he is still a very productive player.”

 

In his time with the Rams Tinoisamoa has played both on the strong side and weak side at linebacker. He turns 28 in July.

[HoofHearted]

Looks like things may be slipping in my hopes of a "Pisa" signing.

 

I can believe it, especially with Perry being a Lovie disciple and craving the same types of players for his system.

[AZ54]

In the past it has been the Bears style to allow 2nd tier players to visit other teams first and JA let's the agent know they have significant interest and to call them before agreeing to a deal. They can see if they get an offer and then the Bears can choose to be in the game and bring the player in for a visit. If we like him offer a bit more, or if it's too much for us thank them and move on. On the flipside is the visit to the Bears when they don't get a contract offer from the other team. Now at this point we have negotiating leverage and if we like the player we bring them in and if they check out we offer the contract that day and have a good chance of signing them. Ask Michael Gaines about this process. At this time of year players are nervous about having a job. It's a bit of a risky strategy in that you can lose the player if they get a great deal but if we weren't willing to give them a great deal it probably wasn't going to work out anyway.