On Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals decided to put a total end to Joey Porter's season --and perhaps his time with the team-- by placing him on the injured reserve list. Along with this move, two other roster changes were made to help strengthen the team in areas of need. See what players were added after the jump.
First of all, the decision to place Porter on IR was not one that was unexpected. He had started the first six games of the season before having surgery on his knee, which is an injury that seems to be reoccurring with the veteran pass rusher. He will end his season with a total of 16 tackles and one sack.
The surprising play of rookie linebacker Sam Acho really made this decision quite easy. Acho's production has been exceptional, collecting four sacks and three forced fumbles in the eight games he has started. He has five sacks on the season, matching Porter's 2010 total.
There is no doubt that Porter has seen his last days in a Cardinals uniform. After taking a pay cut to stay with the team, it became obvious to all parties fairly quickly that he just didn't have enough gas left in the tank. There is also the possibility that Porter never sees the field as an NFL player again, either. If that is the case, Darren Urban points out that he will fall three sacks short of 100 for his career.
With Porter done for the season, linebacker Brandon Williams was elevated from the practice squad to take his roster spot. Williams last played for the Cowboys before signing with Arizona. Our own Jess Root went over to our brother blog, Blogging the Boys, to get a scouting report on Williams.
Judging from the comments, Williams sounds like a player with loads of potential, but one that has been hampered by knee injuries throughout his young career. He has a good nose for the quarterback, but was described as lacking athleticism, which prevented him from translating his skills into pressure. He will likely see time on special teams for the Cardinals.
Lastly, running back William Powell was added to the practice squad to take Williams' place. You may remember Powell from the preseason and his 29 rushing attempts against the Denver Broncos. His signing became a sudden need after Beanie Wells, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Alfonso Smith were all limited in practice because of various injuries.