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.
