According to KERO 23 in California, Cardinals’ linebacker Joey Porter won’t be charged with DUI.

Supervising Deputy District Attorney Mark Pafford, said, “Based upon the information that was provided to us by the CHP, we did not believe that there would be a reasonable likelihood that a jury would find Mr. Porter guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations. With this belief, we thought it was not appropriate for us to proceed.”

According to the CHP, Porter refused to provide his license and began to roll up his window when the officer asked Porter to leave the vehicle. The CHP officer reached into the vehicle and lifted the unlock button and that’s when, according to the release, Porter slapped the officer’s hand to keep the lock button down.

I don’t know how someone can walk away after slapping a cop (even if it was only on the hand) but maybe the police officer’s story had a few holes in it. It sounds like both Porter and the cop puffed their chests out as far as they could go in this situation and it wound up being a stalemate. I’m sure both of them thought they were above it.

So, uh, I guess all’s well that ends well.

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According to TMZ.com, the California Highway Patrol officer who arrested Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter is reportedly under investigation for police brutality.

As we previously reported, the Arizona Cardinals linebacker was busted during a traffic stop at a Taco Bell in Bakersfield, CA over the weekend.

Porter was busted for allegedly slapping the deputy’s hand away as the deputy tried to unlock Joey’s car door. Joey claims the deputy manhandled him, striking him in the face.

Now we’ve learned CHP has launched an Internal Affairs investigation into the deputy’s conduct.

I don’t envy what police officers have to do in order to protect themselves on the job. But if this cop really drew his gun because Porter slapped his hand, then that’s a little absurd.

We’ll have to wait for more details to emerge.

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Joey Porter is off to a fine start with his new team.

From CBS Sports.com:

Authorities say Arizona Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter has been arrested in Bakersfield on suspicion of drunken driving and accused of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.

The California Highway Patrol says the 33-year-old player was confronted by officers early Saturday in a fast-food parking lot.
Porter refused to provide his driver’s license and began to roll up his window when asked to leave the car. Police say that when an officer reached to unlock the door Porter slapped the officer’s hand.

Porter eventually got out and complied with orders, placing his hands behind his back. He and a passenger were arrested.

Anyone else get the feeling that it’s going to be a bad year in Arizona? The ultra-classy Kurt Warner retires, then Anquan Boldin is finally traded and now their “prize” free agent is arrested for being a moron.

I wonder if the Cardinals wrote a clause in Porter’s three-year, $17.5 million contract in which he forfeits $2 million for every incident he gets into outside a fast food restaurant.

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The Cardinals knew what they had to do in order to retain linebacker Karlos Dansby at the start of free agency. Whichever team came hardest with the most cash was the one that would acquire Dansby’s services for the next however many seasons.

Yet when it came time to pony up, the Cards couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) match the five-year, $43 million contract that the Dolphins were offering. Thus the reason Dansby will be playing in South Beach next year with the Dolphins.

With Dansby gone, Arizona had to fill the void that was created at linebacker. So they recently signed aging loudmouth Joey Porter to a three-year, $17.5 million contract, with a max value of $24.5 million. If he reaches the max value of the contract, Porter will make just over $8 million a year from the Cardinals. Considering they could have had Dansby (a younger, more versatile and more productive linebacker) for $8.6 million a year, it’s a little bothersome that Arizona didn’t make a harder pitch to the 28-year-old.

Of course, Dansby will get $22 million in guaranteed money and the only way Porter gets $24.5 million is through incentives. That’s a big difference between the two contracts. Arizona could cut Porter in a year and save money on the back end, while Miami is stuck paying $22 million regardless of whether or not Dansby turns out to be a bust.

Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cardinals fans are a little peeved that their team just overpaid for Porter and couldn’t convince Dansby to stay. I realize Dansby may have had his hopes set on leaving Arizona no matter what, but money appeared to be the root of his motivation to sign and even though the Cardinals knew that, they still couldn’t (or wouldn’t?) pony up.

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After publicly stating that he would never wear a Dolphins jersey again, Joey Porter got his wish on Friday when Miami officially released the aging linebacker. The Dolphins are now off the hook for the $4.8 million that Porter was scheduled to make in 2010.

Porter stated publicly last week that he wouldn’t mind playing for the Chargers, Cardinals or 49ers, although Arizona probably makes the most sense given that its coaching staff is most familiar with the outside ‘backer. Plus, I don’t see Mike Singletary and Porter meshing in San Francisco.

In the end, Porter may wind up settling for whatever team shows interest. He turns 33 in March, can only play in a 3-4 and brings baggage to the table in the form of his attitude. Plus, this offseason should be quieter than usual because teams are preparing for a potential lockout in 2011, so there may not be a big market for him. (Not that there would be anyway, given that he’s not an every down player any more.)

Porter essentially picked the worst offseason to open his mouth and cause waves, although teams are always in need of pass-rushers so he’ll land somewhere. Personally, I think Porter deserves the Raiders, but that’s just me.

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Joey Porter said on the Jim Rome Show on Monday that he wants the Dolphins to trade him this offseason. Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald confirmed the news via his Twitter Page.

Porter finished with 41 tackles, one forced fumble and nine sacks in 14 games this season, but he turns 33 in March and is due $4.8 million in salary and bonuses next year. Combine that with his sparkling attitude and what you have is a player with about as much trade value as a punter.

They may do their due diligence and seek a trade, but considering that he’s no longer an everyday player the Dolphins may wind up cutting Porter anyway. What’s the point in a team paying a part-time player with baggage $4.8 million when they could save cap space and find a younger, cheaper replacement? I’m sure Bill Parcells and new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan can find a suitable player to take Porter’s spot next season.

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In a recent interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Dolphins’ linebacker Jerry Porter said that Tom Brady has an extra advantage every week because he has his own set of rules.

From ESPN.com:

“No question,” said Porter, the Miami Dolphins’ quotable linebacker, who meets Brady’s New England Patriots on Sunday. “When a guy can tell a ref when to throw a flag, and he gets it, he’s got his own rules. They made the rule that you don’t go at the legs for Tom, so when he feels that someone is going at his legs, he just points to the ref and he gets a flag. So I can honestly say that he gets his own rules.”

Earlier this week, Porter said he has a “natural hate” for the Patriots, even bringing up the infamous spying charges leveled against New England from the 2007 season. The Patriots were fined $250,000 plus a No. 1 draft pick, and head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for videotaping signals from New York Jets coaches from the sidelines.

“I still don’t care for New England,” Porter said. “The hate’s been there for a while, especially after all the cheating they did back in the day.

… They can sweep it under the rug if they want to, but just like anybody else that’s cheating that gets caught, you put an asterisk by it. But nobody puts an asterisk by those championships.”

Porter has opened his mouth so many times about opposing teams and players that there is no shock value in what he said above. And actually, I agree with him that Brady is protected like a China doll – as our most quarterbacks in the NFL.

Some of the penalties levied on defenders this year from hits on quarterbacks have been ridiculous, both in the pros and on the college level. It’s getting to the point now where quarterbacks should just wear flags. It’s one thing if the defender clearly took a shot at a quarterback after the ball was released. But it’s quite another when a defender is going all out and the refs expect him to stop in midair to avoid hitting the quarterback.

I’m with Porter on this one.

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