The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Breaking news.  Redskins DE Phillip Daniels suffered a severe knee injury and is likely out for the season. 

http://www.miamiherald.com/614/story/611346.html

According to this article, the Redskins were a playoff team last season and have the pieces in place to go further into the playoffs.  They now need DE help.  They have the tendency to trade draft picks for proven veterans.  And, most importantly, they have the cap room to take on JT's contract for the next two years with little, or no restructuring. 

A trade would now make all the sense in the world.   If The Tuna can get what he wants for JT, he'll look like a genius for holding onto him. 

Taylor to the 'Skins for a 2nd round pick

Taylor is gone. According to Fox Sports, the Dolphins have reached an agreement with the Redskins on Taylor. The deal for a second round pick could be finalized as soon as later today.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8362550/Redskins-agree-to-terms-on-deal-for-Taylor

 I just read the scroll on ESPN ........
 Im torn between being sad to see him go but glad we can move on from all this off season drama.
I cant imagine JT wanting to leave knowing that he is at the end of his career why would you not want to retire from the team you have spent so many years with,and why not leave with some class.
Good Luck JT in washington maybe a career in politics instead of Tinsletown after your NFL Days are over.

  Well played, Mr. Parcells.  You held your ground and were able to get exactly what you were looking for.  As far as Jason goes, I wish he would've conducted himself with a little more class during his last few months in Miami, but he got his wish and is now going to a better situation.  Anyways, Redskins vs. Cowboys should be real interesting this year.  Jason Taylor in a Redskins uniform, and Zach Thomas in a Cowboys uniform.

To gravedig a post, The wise doc said on June 18th about JT..

The only problem with "gimme picks" is that no one is offering any better than a single measly 4th round pick at this time.

My out on a limb prediction is that during the exhibition season, one of the  upper echelon teams hoping for a super bowl shot  will have a defensive line injury or two, will thus be in great and urgent need of a top pass rusher, and make a better offer for JT. Of course, what the hell do I know?


Looks like I am Nostradamus....

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/20/its_official_jt_traded_to_reds.html

JT traded to Redskins

By Edgar Thompson | Sunday, July 20, 2008, 06:51 PM

The Washington Redskins have acquired Jason Taylor for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010, according to The Washington Post.

The Post reports that the Redskins assume the final two seasons of Taylor’s contract, or a total of $15.5 million.

“I’m 100 percent confident he’ll play more than one year,” said Vinny Cerrato, Washington’s executive VP of football operations.

The Washington Redskins’ loss of defensive end Phillip Daniels to a torn ACL in the team’s first practice ended the stalemate between the Dolphins and Taylor, a six-time Pro Bowler who played 11 seasons in South Florida.

Second-year DE Alex Buzbee also was lost for the season today. He was carted off the field with an ankle injury suffered during special-teams practice.

DE Erasmus James started camp on the physically unable to perform list recovering from knee problems. Here’s our version of the story.

Hope to get a comment from the Dolphins in a little bit.

Reports: Dolphins trade Jason Taylor to Redskins

By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, July 20, 2008

DAVIE — The Washington Post is reporting that the Dolphins have traded defensive end Jason Taylor to the Redkins for a second-round draft choice in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010.

The Redskins will assume the final two years of Taylor's contract, which is scheduled to pay him a total of $15.5 million.

Vinny Cerato, the Redskins' executive vice president of football operations, told The Washington Post, "I'm 100 percent confident he'll play more than one year."

Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said the team was not prepared to confirm the trade at this point.

A major knee injury to Washington defensive end Phillip Daniels this morning during the team's first practice of the pre-season opened the door for the trade. Taylor, a six-time Pro Bowler, would fill a glaring void on a Redskins team that made the playoffs in 2008.

The Dolphins have missed the playoffs the past six seasons and finished 1-15 a season ago.

ESPN's John Clayton reports that talks were under way earlier today. The Washington Post quoted a Redskins official, who didn't want to be identified because of the league's tampering policy, as denying the report. Even so, the deal would seem to make a lot of sense for both sides.

The loss of Daniels, who is 35 and has 59 career sacks, leaves the Redskins will a major need at defensive end.

Defensive end Erasmus James began training camp on the physically unable to perform list because of knee problems. In today's afternoon practice, second-year defensive end Alex Buzbee was carted off the field with a season-ending ankle injury suffered during special teams drills.

The injuries gave the Dolphins leverage to make a trade they wanted for the first time since Taylor's desire to play for winning team became public this spring.

The Dolphins failed to draw much interest for Taylor during the off-season.

Heading into the draft, the Redskins were one of several teams rumored to be a possible trading partner for the Dolphins. But Bill Parcells, Miami's head of football operations, reportedly sought a first-round pick and didn't receive even a second-round offer.

Taylor made the Pro Bowl last season, but also had eight games without a sack. He'll be 34 when this season opens.

And Taylor's value has been further diminished by his stated intention to play just one more season before he pursues a career in entertainment.

Taylor's outside interests put him at odds with the new regime when he opted to participate in the popular "Dancing With the Stars" series rather than participate in the Dolphins off-season conditioning program.

Taylor, who has played his entire 11-year career in Miami, didn't show up for the team's June 6-8 mini-camp. At one point, new head coach Tony Sparano said Taylor would not be coming to training camp, which opens Saturday in at the team's training facility in Davie.

Sparano would later amend those comments, saying he didn't know what Taylor planned to do but that the coaches and players wanted him on the team.

In an interview with ESPN that aired last week, Taylor, who is due $8 million this season, said he plans to play this season, but he didn't even know his plans for training camp.

Asked if he'd be open to returning to the Dolphins, Taylor said, "I may not have a choice."

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/07/taylor-trade-ma.html

Taylor trade makes Parcells look like a genius

Although the Dolphins have not yet confirmed it -- the team hasn't yet confirmed that last season ended, either -- the Washington Redskins have announced they have acquired Jason Taylor for a second round pick in 2009 and a sixth round pick in 2010.

To which I say: Bill Parcells is the man!

I am not celebrating Taylor's departure, though he probably is. Taylor wanted to be traded since the end of last season and I am told he is welcoming this move. He is scheduled to arrive at the Redskins training facility by tomorrow morning.

He has talked with Redskins executive VP of football operations Vinny Cerrato and apparently told him that he would play for the Redskins for two seasons. "I'm 100 percent positive he'll play for more than one year," Cerrato told DC area reporters.

So much for the drama of playing one and being done.

Fact is this trade means the only drama remaining on the Dolphins will be on the field. It will come in the form of quarterback and other position competitions. It will come in seeing how long, and if, the new Dolphins leadership takes to correct a franchise off course.

The drama that Taylor brought throughout the offseason and up until this week as we wondered whether he would report to the start of training camp or not -- he wasn't going to, by the way -- is now gone.

And, by the way, the Dolphins got their asking price. Parcells was criticized immediately after the draft by pundits who said he should have unloaded Taylor on the cheap. He instead held fast knowing that teams making a playoff or championship push would reach a point late in training camp when they would want a player of Taylor's talent.

Parcells was right in thinking that. He just underestimated that the moment would come much earlier in camp. The Redskins opened camp on Saturday and defensive end Phillip Daniels suffered a season-ending injury in a 7-on-7 drill.

  It is good news that Taylor was traded today...The timing could not have been better as he will not be a distraction to this young team during training camp and preseason...the team can now concentrate on football, not Jason Taylor!!!!

  Parcells/Ireland and Coach Sparano handled the situation admirably...wish I could say the same for Jason Taylor...I commend the new regime for sticking to there guns and getting value for Taylor, no matter what was going on in this situation.....Jason also got his  wish of going to a playoff contender ( although the NFC east will be a very competitive division)....both sides should be happy with this outcome and the timing of it.

  

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-720jttrade,0,7404843.story

Dolphins trade Jason Taylor to Redskins

By Omar Kelly
Sun-Sentinel.com

7:54 PM EDT, July 20, 2008

ASHBURN, Va. - Jason Taylor's leaving the only NFL team he's known, as his wish to be traded to a contender was granted on Sunday.

The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round selection in 2010 to acquire the six-time Pro Bowler who had spent 11 seasons anchoring the Dolphins' defense.

``We're fortunate there was a guy that caliber on the market when somebody got hurt,'' Washington executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said. ``Normally, in most years, there's not a guy of that caliber on the market.''

Washington losing defensive ends Phillip Daniels to a torn left ACL, and Alex Buzbee to a ruptured Achilles in the team's first practice heightened the Redskins' need for a pass-rushing end.

Cerreto said Taylor is expected to report to Redskins training camp on Monday.

Tired of the Dolphins constant rebuilding, Taylor pushed Dolphins management to trade him to a contender.

Pre-dating the draft, the Dolphins talked with a handful of teams. But none of the offers brought suitable value for a player who contributed 56 tackles and 11 sacks last season. Until now.

Sunday's trade allows Taylor to join a team that made the playoffs last season.

"I want to win games. I don't play this game for fame or money; fun," Taylor says during an ESPN interview last week. "It's fun when you play it and you win....It's about winning. Being 1-15 and being on the doorstep of 0-16 isn't what this game is about."

Taylor, who will turn 34 on Sept. 1, is due $8 million this season, which includes a $500,000 roster bonus, and $8.5 million next season. The Redskins have the cap space to absorb the lofty contract, which has Taylor ranked amongst the NFL's highest paid defensive linemen.

``His play speaks for itself. I think it's easy to talk about Jason Taylor. He's got statistics and everything else to back up everything that he's done,'' Cerrato said.

Taylor has previous said he plans to play only one season, but acknowledged he reserved the right to change him mind.

Cerrato, who is close friends with Gary Wichard, Taylor's agent, said he's "100 percent positive" the NFL's 2006 Defensive Player of the Year will finish out his contract.

Taylor's departure means free agent addition Charlie Anderson and second-year player Quentin Moses will compete for the vacant starting outside linebacker spot opposite Joey Porter. He'll likely move over to the left side, playing atop the left tackle.

Anderson has primary served as a special teams contributor during his four seasons in Houston.

Moses, a third-round pick from Georgia, was cut by two teams in his rookie season before finishing out the season with the Dolphins.

So long JT.  Thanks for the memories. 

A second and sixth rounder, talk about a good return on an investment.  We drafted this guy in the third round, had him for 11 seasons, then get back more than we spent for him. 

Tuna's stockpiling picks again.


You're right Doc.  Here's the post I gravedug for you:


Coldies are on me when we go to Jax for the preseason game.

Yes, but there is only one Denverdamus.

I'm sad to see him go, but he obviously wanted out, so good luck to him.

http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/611518.html

Dolphins deal Jason Taylor to Redskins

BY JEFF DARLINGTON
Miami Herald

The end of the Jason Taylor era has arrived.

The Dolphins have agreed to terms with the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010. Redskins vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato told reporters in Washington,including The Washington Times, that he's certain Taylor will play for more than one season, which would contradict previous comments from Taylor.

''He's excited,'' Cerrato said. ``He's excited for a new start.''

Cerrato contacted Dolphins vice president of football operations Bill Parcells after the Redskins' practice Sunday, when starting defensive end Phillip Daniels sustained a serious knee injury. In a seemingly perfect scenario for each side, the deal moved extremely rapidly Sunday afternoon.

''I think his play speaks for itself,'' Cerrato said. ``It's easy to talk about Jason Taylor. He's got statistics and everything else to back up everything he's done.''

Taylor, perhaps the greatest defensive player in team history, is expected to arrive in Washington at some point Monday for the team's training camp.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/07/fins-taylor-tra.html

Fins: Taylor traded to D.C.

That will teach me to leave town (and my cellphone coverage area) for a couple of days.

Jason Taylor was traded this afternoon to Washington.

So a chapter (finally) ends.

I was right on one count, wrong on another.

1. Correct. Taylor will not play for the Dolphins again. That was clear to me, and anyone reasonably close to the situation, months ago. The only question was whether he would be traded, or would walk away. 

2. Incorrect. I thought the Dolphins would find it difficult to get more than a third-round pick in return, once the draft passed. It took a little good fortune (Phillip Daniels') injury. Still, it worked out well for them -- and after all the criticism I levied on this blog, I must give them credit. They got a very fair return, and these chips can help rebuild the program. A second-rounder in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010 (by Jimmy Johnson's scale) equates to having gotten a third-rounder in the 2008 plus a seventh-rounder in 2009 a few months ago. That would have been acceptable.

OK, now he's gone.

Post your opinions, tributes, etc.

Again, my contributions will be limited until returning Tuesday evening.

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 6:31:44 PM

that nfc east is a tough division... things must have gotten real bad with the tuna for jt to opt to play for the redskins. good move for tuna on this one though. getting a second rounder for a defensive end at the end of his career is pretty sweet.

Salguero is full of garbage as usual.

It's plain and simple. If Philip Daniels, who is a good defensive end had not gotten hurt, Jason Taylor would not be headed to Washington. Washington had a desperate need and filled the need. Dan Synder would have traded for Hornswaggle the midget of the WWF if he had to to get a defensive end.

The Dolphins caught a stroke of luck on this one. It's good to go to mass sometimes.

So now all of a sudden, Parcells is a genius when he was probably sweating bullets from opening up training camp with Jason Taylor not being there and having to ask questions about Taylor each day. Parcells was spared the pressure of having news vans in front of the Davie complex looking for Jason taylor to part through the skies and report to training camp.

You have to ask yourself, what if Daniels wouldn't have gotten hurt? I believe it's tougher to trade a player during pre-season because on many teams, you have guys that are being evaluated and many are surprises to the coaching staff. Rarely do you see trades in pre-season or during the season anymore.

It's not quantum physics. You knew that Parcells wasn't going to send Taylor to the Cowboys. Ditto for the Patriots or Chargers. I really thought that Taylor would end up in New York with Strahan retiring but they still have a powerful front four.

The NFC East is the toughest division in football and even though Jim Zorn is a rookie coach, I have a feeling that the Redskins are going to the playoffs. Zorn was a gutsy QB who helped Steve Largent emerge into a Hall of Famer so this may work for Taylor.

As for Salguero, what an idiotic statement to make. We're better off starting our own newspaper here at TDMMC because we have posters that make better sense than he does.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/07/wave-bye-bye-to.html

Wave bye-bye to Jason Taylor

The Dolphins just got a little bit closer to being a contender in 2010, but the team they will send onto the field in a month or so just got a whole lot worse.

Say what you want about Jason Taylor the Pro Bowl player, the South Florida philanthropist, or the pretty boy ego maniac with Hollywood aspirations, but the reality is the Miami Dolphins just traded away their best player to the Redskins.

Sure Bill Parcells and the Trifecta were just given a kings ransom by the desperate Redskins, and should be applauded for sticking to their guns on his trade value.

But don't kid yourself, this trade sets the Dolphins back short-term.

 Jake Long's development as an elite left tackle just hit some quicksand because there's no longer an elite pass rusher to push him in practice.

Joey Porter's job just got a whole lot harder because there's no longer a Hall of Famer on the opposite side of him.

The pressure that will be placed on Charlie Anderson and Quentin Moses just got a whole lot more intense because if they don't step up, the 3-4 scheme doesn't pan out.

I'm personally happy for JT. I remember how jealous he was when Chris Chambers got traded to San Diego. I remember him waving goodbye to Dolphins fans in the 2007 season finale and tearing up because he knew it'd likely be his last game as a Dolphins. At least he hoped it would be.

He's free, and he never bad mouthed our beloved sports team to get it done. Sure he flirted with others. Sure he never called us back and went AWOL for a long while. He certainly did string us along, and danced around the truth a whole lot. But he never broke our heart. He never dissed his first love.

True Dolphins fans should try to respect that, and hopefully in time they'll learn to cheer for him come playoff time just as they will Chambers, Sam Madison and Zach Thomas.

If you're honest with yourself you'll admit Taylor, even at 31, is worth an extra win or two in the tough NFC East when surrounded by decent talent.

If you're honest with yourself you'll admit Taylor will probably make enough plays to contribute to a win or two for a rebuilding team.

Truth is the Redskins need him far more than the Dolphins, which will probably use that second round pick to draft his replacement in 2009.

The Redskins short-term solution just benefited the Dolphins longterm, helped them avoid a major distract, and sent off one of the franchise's greats in style.

Goodbye JT, and thanks for the draft picks.

> Posted by Omar Kelly at 8:18:38 PM

Ethurst, I have to disagree on this one.  If Phillip Daniels had not gotten hurt, I'm sure some other contending team's DE would have, in which case, Parcells would listen to offers for JT from that team. 

By waiting till training camp to unload him, Parcells increased JT's value big time.  If the best offer he got during the draft was a 4th round pick, now all of a sudden he bags a second rounder and a sixth rounder, what does that say about the Redskins and their sudden need for a capable DE? 

Doctor D was dead on in his call that Parcells would wait till training camp to make a trade. 

WTF?

Tommy,

Snyder is the Mike Lynn of the New Millennium. Remember Lynn, the GM of the Vikings who got conned by Jimmy Johnson in the Herschel Walker deal that made Dallas a juggernaut in the early to mid 90's? No other team would have bit on this one and the longer Taylor would have stayed a Dolphin, I'm convinced that he would have either had to sit out 10 games or retire.

I think that if any other team that wanted Taylor, they would have got him before now and perhaps, Miami would have got the same deal as they now have.

For example, the Broncos need someone opposite Elvis Dumervil to pressure the QB. Simeon Rice didn't work out last year and was basically out of gas. Shanny would have pulled the trigger on a trade if the cards were right. Taylor is a perfect fit for the Broncos but Shanny wasn't going to give up a 2nd and a 6th.

Here's the contenders list. Taylor wasn't going to go to a top rated contender because these contenders are already set.

AFC

Patriots
Bills (Don't laugh!)
Pittsburgh
Cleveland (horrible D last year but they are not mortgaging the future)
Indianapolis
San Diego
Denver?

NFC

NY Giants
Dallas
Carolina
Seattle
Vikings

The AFC again, is the elite conference on paper.

Your main tier contenders were not going to mortgage the future for Taylor. Parcells caught a stroke of luck with the Redskins. What's weird about the Redskins situation Tommy is that most teams put the onus on the backup to step up and take the starters place during this time of year. Not Dan Synder.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/20/stoda21web.html

Commentary: Desperate Dolphins watch Jason Taylor shuffle off to Washington

By GREG STODA
Palm Beach Post Staff Columnist

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Jason Taylor is a Washington Redskin.

That didn't take long once NFL training camps began to open, now, did it?

Did the Dolphins get enough for Jason Taylor? 

The Dolphins traded Taylor in a hurry Sunday night for a second-round pick in the NFL Draft next year and a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft the year after that.

Right.

They didn't get much.

The Dolphins, of course, will counter with the fact that Taylor, a Pro Bowl defensive end, was a third-round pick by Miami once upon a time. They'll further counter that star linebacker Zach Thomas - now gone to the Dallas Cowboys for a bowl of TexMex cooking goodies - was a fifth-round pick by Miami once upon a time, too.

Let 'em talk.

It's my guess Bill Parcells wanted Taylor and Thomas gone from the time he walked into Dolphins' headquarters in December to begin a reconstruction project as boss of all things football. The piecemeal work would be done through the draft, and was, but the turning of big stones would involve removal of the team's old foundation.

What the Dolphins aren't saying is that they wanted no more of Taylor or the distraction his absence would have created when the team reports to work for camp without him come Saturday morning.

This never was going to be anything than exactly what it turned out to be, which was an NFL version of The Price is Right conducted by the Dolphins.

"Washington Redskins, come on down! You're the next contestant on ..."

But it speaks volumes as to Miami's mind-set that this was considered to be the right price.

That the Dolphins agreed to Washington's terms is the best indication of how much they wanted to rid themselves of Taylor after they passed on other nibbles.

And, hey, these were the Redskins in desperate mode. They lost a starting and a reserve defensive end to season-ending injuries over the weekend, and turned immediately to Miami.

Parcells is not a stupid man.

Stubborn, certainly, but not stupid. He is, in fact, thought of as something of a professional football genius.

And the best he could come up with in exchange for Taylor was a second- and a sixth-rounder?

This was Parcells settling, because he wanted to settle ... because it beat steaming himself silly about Taylor's intractability.

The Dolphins are trying to improve from horrific to just plain bad, and Taylor wasn't going to make the improvement go any faster.

Parcells, who did not return a call to his cell phone Sunday night, knew as much a long time ago, of course, but was adamant about trying to make everyone believe he believed in Taylor's worth as "a good football player." What he really believed in was Taylor's worth on the market, and that didn't work out so well, either.

The Dolphins, who wouldn't confirm the trade reports, look like chumps.

They blinked.

Taylor went on Dancing with the Stars to begin enhancement of his post-football career, and hit it big on the television show. The Dolphins were left to stew in frustration when Taylor told them exactly what he would and wouldn't be doing in preparation for the season.

The result is that Miami allowed the Redskins to dance off with its star.

Taylor, by the way, had made it a point to inform the Dolphins that his intention was to play one more season. He reserved the right to change his mind.

Now?

Consider his mind changed.

Taylor will be 34 years old by the time the NFL season, which will be his 12th. According to an ESPN report, Taylor already has told the Redskins there's no need to renegotiate his contract (calling for $8.1 million this year) and will play two seasons.

No wonder the Redskins, according to a report on The Washington Post Web site, were confident enough for Vinny Cerrato, who is Washington's vice-president for football operations, to say he's "100 percent confident" Taylor will play more than one year.

Cerrato claimed that discussions regarding an acquisition of Taylor didn't begin until Sunday afternoon.

Hmmm.

Anyone still think Dolphins weren't as desperate to peddle Taylor as the Redskins were desperate to land him?

Now, it's done.

Now, the clock officially begins ticking on Parcells' efforts to rebuild a long-moribund Miami franchise.

Great now I have two jerseys I cant wear anymore. Who to get now?

  Ricky?

I've got a Ricky jersey.  At least it's still good.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/breaking-news/story/611566.html

Proud chapter of Dolphins history closes with Taylor trade

BY GREG COTE
Miami Herald

It was smart and it was sad, all at once, the Sunday evening trade that all of a sudden turned Jason Taylor into a former Miami Dolphin. Just like that. Eleven NFL seasons of No. 99, instantly put to past tense.

The pragmatic side of the mind argues with irrefutable logic that the deal is good for Miami. The Washington Redskins are giving in return a second-round draft pick in 2009 and throwing in a sixth-rounder the year after. And that seems more than fair for a soon-34-year-old defensive end who wanted out of here and who -- smitten by Dancing With the Stars and dreams of Hollywood -- seemed about done with football, anyway.

And surely a Miami team bent on rebuilding, after six consecutive years out of the playoffs, bottomed out by last season's abysmal 1-15 record, is wise to have traded an aging star for potential, for pieces of the future. And all of that is absolutely true. This is a wise move for the franchise.

Yet the less pragmatic side of the mind cannot be denied here. Emotion will have its say.

A proud, substantial chapter of Dolphins history closes, nicks quietly shut.

Only a few months ago the club's new regime, fronted by ultimate decisionmaker Bill Parcells, rather unceremoniously waived (that's kind football-speak for fired) longtime linebacker Zach Thomas, who signed with Dallas. Now the massive makeover sweeps out Taylor, too, whose great career ran concurrent with Thomas'.

It means the coming 2008 season, ushered in with the start of training camp this weekend, will mark the first time since 1995 -- Don Shula's last year -- that there will be neither a Thomas nor a Taylor anchoring the Dolphins' defense.

Since iconic quarterback Dan Marino left in the deep winter of 1999, Thomas and Taylor (in any order you preferred) have been the faces of Dolphins football. The constants.

Memories now, both of them.

A faceless team in their place, bereft of a single player worthy of the stature. A franchise seeking identity, needing stability. When your longest-serving player now is the on-again, off-again Ricky Williams, yours officially is a franchise in flux.

Taylor's departure seemed inevitable, and even necessary. The spring soap opera made it so. Taylor dancing the cha-cha and mambo on national TV; Parcells liking none if it. Sides, separating. Acrimony, festering. Taylor would have been plainly unhappy being back with Miami.

Miami in turn looks smart for waiting this out and not trading Taylor earlier, for less. San Diego, Green Bay and other teams made overtures but wouldn't meet the demand of at least a second-round pick. Washington lost a couple of key defenders to injuries and came calling, rewarding Parcells' patience.

It is hard, though, right now, with the news still raw, to feel too good about the way this all ended.

First, Zach Thomas goes out discarded, as unwanted as something you would place on the curb on garbage day.

Now, Jason Taylor leaves in what in every sense is a contentious divorce. The sides might make public nice-nice now that it's over, but, make no mistake, the parting is tinged in acrimony, and that's too bad.

You could argue Taylor as the greatest defender in Dolphins history. He is the club's career sack leader, by almost double. In 2006 he became only the third Miamian to be selected as NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He is not a lock, but seeming increasingly likely, to be voted someday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Now he is gone, just like that, and too many Dolfans, in their haste to discard all remnants of the past and move on, will throw maybe a quick nod to the man fast-receding in the rear-view mirror.

He deserves more, of course. Much.

He deserves thanks, appreciation and respect for all of the skill and passion he showed on the field, and for all of the class he showed off of it.

The Dolphins traded Jason Taylor on Sunday, and, yes, it was a very good trade.

But that doesn't mean it has to feel good.

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/top_story.asp?contentID=5882

Dolphins Trade Jason Taylor To Washington For A Pair Of Draft Picks

July 20, 2008
   
The Miami Dolphins today traded defensive end Jason Taylor to the Washington Redskins in exchange for two undisclosed draft choices.

“I want to thank Jason for all of his contributions to the Dolphins and to South Florida,” said Dolphins Managing General Partner Wayne Huizenga. “Ever since he joined the team as a rookie he has been outstanding on the field and a leader in our community. Whether it was his intensity between the lines or his commitment to his charitable works, he made a lasting impact here. I will miss Jason, and on behalf of the entire Dolphins organization I want to wish him the best of success with the Redskins.”

“Like Mr. Huizenga, I also would like to thank Jason for his contributions to the Dolphins, said Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland. “He has been a valued member of this organization and we appreciate all he has done both on and off the field. We wish him the best in Washington.”

I'm in agreement with ethurst that this deal makes Tuna look like a lucky man, rather than a genius. That said, I think Tuna was destined to get a 2nd or 3rd rounder for JT, simply because edge rushers are requirements if you want to go deep into the playoffs, and some team would have ponied up to get him eventually, imo...

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/07/farewell-to-jt.html

Farewell to JT

Whether you like the way he left town or not, you got to admit that no defensive player had to be accounted for more than No. 99 Jason Taylor. He patented the sack-strip-recovery and runback.

The way he plucked balls out of the air with those long arms was special to watch, although he could keep the Michael Jordan Nike leap into the end zone to himself.

Here's JT's complete farewell statment: "As you might imagine, this is a bit overwhelming right now and I probably need a little time to digest it all. I love Miami, will always cherish my 11 years with the Dolphins and can't thank Mr. Huizenga, Bryan Wiedmeier and countless coaches and teammates enough for what they have all done. I will be a Dolphins fan now and wish them the best. Tony Sparano is great and I know I would have enjoyed working with him. And what can I say about the fans? This town has been supportive beyond belief, through good times and bad and I wish I could thank everyone personally. Having said that, I'm looking forward to meeting with Mr. Snyder and getting to know my new coaches and teammates. I'm just proud to be representing our nation's capital as a Redskin.''

He will be missed, especially by reporters looking for raw emotion after another loss. He was a go-to-guy, although in the last few years he seemed to be getting beaten down by all the losses and wasn't as fun to be around. That's probably why he sought out diversions like Hollywood and Dancing with the Stars.

Still, he needs to be thanked for all he does for the community with his charity endeavors.

I could see him now on an upcoming cover of SI or Pro Football Weekly with the Washington Monument in the background. Good luck in DC, Jason where he'll face his brother-in-law Zach Thomas and the Cowboys twice a year.

Any parting words..shots..thanks for JT?

Just saw JT on the ESPYs saying he's just doing his bit, "to annoy Parcells."

> Posted by hfialkov at 9:45:37 PM

Excellent prediction for sure, congrats...
Now what are the winning numbers to the next powerball ?

Seriously I want to personally thank Jayson for the many years of play in Miami, you gave us hope and a reason to watch. I am sad to see you go to Washington, and I hope nothing but good things will happen for you. Good luck to you and your new team Jayson. We will see you again when we retire your number.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/20/thanks_for_the_memories_jt.html

Thanks for the memories, JT

By Edgar Thompson | Sunday, July 20, 2008, 10:57 PM

Everyone expected this day to arrive.

Now that it’s finally here, how do you feel about the Dolphins’ decision to trade Jason Taylor?

It has to really hurt a lot of Dolfans if they take into account not the past several months, but the last 11 seasons.

The six Pro Bowls, the team-record 117 sacks and 130 consecutive games played, the NFL-record eight TDs by a defensive lineman. Forget “Dancing With the Stars,” Hollywood’s blinding bright lights and the stand-off with the Big Tuna.

When you look back on Taylor’s career, what will you remember most?

A particular play? A dominating performance? An autograph? A high five?

I feel cheated a bit, having covered Taylor during the most disappointing season of his career.

He rarely flashed Hall of Fame ability during a miserable 1-15 season, while many of his teammates barely flashed Arena Football League ability. Taylor had back-to-back games without a tackle and had eight games without a sack.

In the Dolphins’ only win, against the Ravens, Taylor did show the ability that made him one of the NFL’s best defenders for 10 years. He finished with two sacks, three quarterback hurries and blocked a kick.

The Dolphins will need some performances like that this season. Any season.

But it’s going to be a lot to ask. After all, there’s not many players like No. 99.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/07/fins-jt-traded.html?cid=123108090#comment-123108090

Fins: JT traded (aftermath, #1)

Bill Parcells declared that Jason Taylor would play for the Dolphins or retire.

Jason Taylor danced around the subject of whether he wanted to remain a Dolphin.

None of that posturing (and that's all it was) matters now.

Taylor was traded, as most media observers expected would occur.

He gets what he wanted: an exit to a potential contender.

The Dolphins get what they need: more rebuilding chips they must use wisely.

But Taylor's reputation took a hit in the process.  In a sense, Zach Thomas was fortunate. He wanted the same result as Taylor (to get a contender), but the Dolphins didn't view him as having enough value to hold for a trade. So Thomas is still universally beloved here.

Several questions remain.

We'll start with these two:

Now that it's over, will you root for Taylor?

And how will you view his career here?

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 10:16:19 PM

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-fl1ahydex0721pnjul21,0,678606.column

Taylor deserves a proper farewell

Dave Hyde
Sports Columnist

July 21, 2008

His grandfather sat at a Smith-Corona typewriter each New Year's Day and pecked out annual goals that he'd then read to the family. Jason Taylor inherited that idea. He arrived as a no-name Dolphins rookie in 1997 and wrote three goals on an index card that he leaned against his nightstand lamp.

That way, he saw them first thing in the morning and last thing at night:

1. Make the team.

2. Improve each day.

3. Start on opening day.

Let's remember that today. Let's remember how his Dolphin time began as we get swamped by its ending. Let's note how Taylor achieved those early goals, then added bigger ones each year. Become the team's Most Valuable Player? Lead the franchise in sacks? Become the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year?

By the time Taylor left Sunday night in a trade that benefits the team more than it does him, those football goals were only part of what he achieved. Let's note that, too. He made the kind of bond with a community that only the best players do, the ones great enough on the field and good enough off it are able to do.

He gave kids school clothes in one charity function, opened a football camp for underprivileged youth, even started a reading room in Miramar where dozens of teenagers got extra schooling every day. Among pro athletes who gave back, Taylor belongs in the class with Dan Marino and Alonzo Mourning.

That matters. At least it should. And it's why a proper goodbye should be said today, one without the bile of these recent months, one that puts 11 years of good work into the perspective it deserves as he goes off to Washington.

Oh, Taylor asked for a trade like this. Sometimes you don't get exactly what you asked for. That might be the case here, because instead of a championship-ready team Taylor goes to one that eked into the playoffs last year and then got blown away in the first game.

Maybe the Redskins are young and coming. Maybe they need a veteran like Taylor. We'll see. All we know today is Washington lost starting defensive end Phillip Daniels to injury and so paid the asking price for Taylor of a second-round draft pick in 2009 and a fifth-round pick in 2010.

This was the ending that had to come, the sooner the better, because no one came off well in this long goodbye. This new Dolphin regime had an odd, passive-aggressive treatment of Taylor, one week saying in a snit he'd never show up to practice and the next attending his charity events. And if Taylor's Dancing With the Stars commitment was one thing, his tap-dancing over whether he wanted to be traded was another.

Thankfully, that's all passed now. The angst will be quickly forgotten, as will Bill Parcells' March comment that, "The only way Jason Taylor doesn't play for the Dolphins in 2008 is if he retires. The team is not going to trade him."

Everyone knew such bluster was for show when he said it and so can't hold him to it now. Everyone played his part in this parting. Again: This trade had to happen. Again: The sooner it was done, the better.

And again: Taylor will be missed, in the way all great players are. He was the last Dolphin on the marquee, too. There will be others, perhaps soon. But who's left to put up there now? Zach Thomas was released to Dallas months ago. Now Taylor's gone. That's about it as far as forever Dolphins of late.

Consistent? Taylor started 130 straight games, a team record. Talented? He had 117 sacks, another team record. And tough? Well, that was a given, considering at 5, he got into a fight with a dog and bit it.

But then he had an unusual background of a tank commander for one grandfather, a University of Pittsburgh quarterback for another and a home-schooling background at a time that was just coming into vogue. At 12, he had a home-repair business. At 14, he memorized the Book of James.

At 22, he became a Dolphin and he kept growing up before everyone's eyes in the way that doesn't much happen in sports anymore. Sometimes players aren't good enough to last. Sometimes the money takes them to another city.

And sometimes it wasn't pretty with Taylor. That's part of it. We're all frail. He got into an ugly affair with his stepfather that landed in courts. He admitted to personal problems that nearly ended his marriage with Katrina, Thomas' sister.

In other words, he grew up in the headlines in a manner a lot of sports stars do. His problems weren't unusual, just magnified. He never ducked the issues. All the while he gave his best on the field and gave back to South Florida in a manner only a couple of athletes have.

Suddenly, he's another city's star, another team's hope.

"As you might imagine, this is a bit overwhelming right now and I probably need a little time to digest it all," Taylor said in a statement Sunday night.

The timeline was all wrong here. Taylor, at 34 next season, is nearing the end. Parcells and his team are at the beginning. It was best this ending came before the start of Friday's training camp. Taylor gets the start he wants. And the Dolphin era that advertises "A New Beginning" has a complete one.

The last few years on the index card he still kept on his nightstand, Taylor started with one word, always the same one:

Win.

It looks like that's the ending here. Taylor wins in getting to Washington. The Dolphins win in getting a couple draft chips for the future. But, given everyone wins, it doesn't feel like that today. It feels like a goodbye. And, if necessary, those aren't always something to celebrate.

http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/611599.html

Trade removes talent and distractions

By ARMANDO SALGUERO
Miami Herald

The Dolphins rid themselves of their biggest offseason headache and what promised to be training camp's most uncomfortable drama.

Jason Taylor is gone to the Washington Redskins in a trade.

And yes, that means the 2008 Dolphins suddenly got a whole lot less talented Sunday in the hour or so Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said it took his team to work a trade.

Gone is the team's most productive defensive player the past 11 seasons. Gone is the consistent pressure he generates against opposing quarterbacks. Gone is Miami's biggest-name player.

Also gone are those ridiculous rumors that Brett Favre might somehow end up in Miami this season. In case you missed the rest of the offseason, this trade proves Miami is building for the future, not for today. Adding a soon-to-be 39-year-old quarterback doesn't really make sense under that plan.

So the Dolphins are diminished on the field. But think of it as addition by subtraction, because Sunday's trade also eased Miami of all that baggage Taylor recently was carrying.

The Dolphins no longer have to worry about whether Taylor is unhappy. They don't have to fret he will be a bad influence on younger players in the locker room. And those daily reports on whether he was showing up for the start of camp are moot now.

Until the trade, those issues threatened to sour Tony Sparano's first Miami training camp and cast a shadow over the authority vice president of football operations Bill Parcells and general manager Jeff Ireland held over the locker room.

That is no longer an issue.

Now someone else has to worry whether the talented defensive end will play only one more season. Now someone else will have to figure out what offseason camps he might miss as he juggles a budding movie career.

That drama goes away. That headache is gone. And that's good.

Now the drama the Dolphins will see this training camp will have mostly to do with, you know, football.

The petty stuff like trade rumors will defer to more important theater like a quarterback competition.

We will be rightfully absorbed by the twin returns of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. We will be scrutinizing whether rookie Jake Long is worth the paycheck that makes him the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman. We will be measuring the progress of Ted Ginn Jr. from Year One to Year Two.

We will be doing exactly what Sparano and his coaches and his bosses want: Thinking about football instead of a player who might not have reported to the first day of training camp.

From a purely football perspective it is impossible to argue the Dolphins were trying to make a short-term improvement by making this trade.

Yes, that second-round pick next year will come in handy especially if the Redskins, who play in the NFL's toughest division, struggle to make the playoffs. But that pick's contribution is 12 months away.

Today, the Dolphins have to find a pass-rusher on the outside.

Linebacker Charlie Anderson came from Houston as an unrestricted free agent and is now the most likely replacement at the outside linebacker spot for which Taylor seemed suited. There is also the chance the Dolphins might use Joey Porter in a greater pass-rushing role.

But it seems if the Dolphins are going to produce significant pass-rush pressure, it will have to come from unproven players. It will have to come from rookie Kendall Langford, who seems suited for the task, or maybe rookie Phillip Merling, who projects more as a run-stopper.

Neither can guarantee making up for the double-digit sacks Taylor typically produced. But watching whether they can is the drama the Dolphins prefer.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/07/what-everybody.html

What everybody is saying about the JT trade

The Dolphins, Redskins and Jason Taylor have released quotes about tonight's trade that sends Taylor to the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010.

Here is what Taylor said:

"As you might imagine, this is a bit overwhelming right now and I probably need a little time to digest it all. I love Miami, will always cherish my 11 years with the Dolphins and can't thank Mr. Huizenga, Bryan Wiedmeier and countless coaches and teammates enough for what they have all done. I will be a Dolphins fan now and wish them the best. Tony Sparano is great and I know I would have enjoyed working with him. And what can I say about the fans? This town has been supportive beyond belief, through good times and bad and I wish I could thank everyone personally.

"Having said that, I'm looking forward to meeting with Mr. Snyder and getting to know my new coaches and teammates. I'm just proud to be representing our nation's capital as a Redskin."

From the Dolphins the team released statements from managing general partner (owner) Wayne Huizenga and GM Jeff Ireland.

"I want to thank Jason for all of his contributions to the Dolphins and to South Florida," Huizenga said.  "Ever since he joined the team as a rookie he has been outstanding on the field and a leader in our community. Whether it was his intensity between the lines or his commitment to his charitable works, he made a lasting impact here. I will miss Jason, and on behalf of the entire Dolphins organization I want to wish him the best of success with the Redskins."

From the Redskins perspective executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato was thrilled:

"We are fortunate that there was a player of his caliber available on the market, especially after one of our players got hurt. Normally there is nobody on the market of his caliber. [Taylor] is a six-time Pro Bowl player, and he was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. The timing was right.

"His play speaks for itself. It is easy to talk about Jason Taylor. His statistics back up everything that he has done. I think one of the more impressive accomplishments is that he played 90 percent of the plays on defense last year. We had to act after losing our starting defensive end Phillip Daniels."

So what do I think? You can check that in the column I wrote in Monday's Herald. Basically, the Dolphins are less talented as a result of this trade. They just lost a double-digit sack player and have no real dependable replacement for him.

But they just may be a stronger TEAM because they don't have the Taylor distraction and all the drama that goes with him as training camp looms. The Dolphins, by the way, talked to at least two teams about trading Taylor on Sunday but believed the Redskins deal to be the best for them.

Now you get your chance. What are you, the fans, saying...

Well said Ethurst.

As for Jason, good luck JT!! I'm sad to see ya go man, and I hope nothing but the best for you. Thanks for everything you've done/put up with down here in Miami. Our POS offenses wasted 2 great defensive players' careers in Thomas and Taylor. Now go sack the hell outta Romo.  ;D

What are you talking about? Nobody was shopping for Taylor until the Deadskins moved in. Ethurst is right, this saves fat Tuna from the media circus. Thank you JT for the blood, sweat, & tears -- when its all over come back & get your well deserved inclusion in the ROH, but meanwhile I will now root against you - so that 2nd round pick comes back nice & shiny.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/07/who-replaces-ja.html?cid=123137766#comment-123137766

Who replaces Jason Taylor?

Jason Taylor's departure creates a huge void on the roster that likely won't be easy to fill. But the Dolphins do have options. Not many, but there are player that could make the 3-4 defense work.

Joey Porter is a comparable athlete to Taylor. Or at least he was. Before his disappointing 2007 season Porter was considered one of the elite 3-4 linebackers in the NFL, and who knows, he still might be. This season will likely tell us.

I suspect Porter becomes the band-aide that fills in for Taylor as the jack, which is the outside linebacker who lines up against the left tackle and moves around the field to create confusion.

Porter filled in for Taylor some during OTA's and minicamp and I can see the move from left to right being permanent. But if Porter moves over who fills in for him you ask?

Reggie Torbor finished last season as a starting outside linebacker for the Giants and was likely going to play a duel role this season if Channing Crowder and Akin Adoyele won the two starting spots on the inside.

Crowder's likely a lock to start if he's healthy because he's in the final year of his first contract and the Trifecta needs to showcase him to determine if he's worth of re-signing. Even if they don't ink him to a new deal a good season for Crowder warrants a better compensatory pick in return for letting him walk as a free agent.

As one of the Dallas defections Ayodele is probably more familiar with the defense these coaches are trying to run than every other player, so he's a front-runner to start on the inside. However, Ayodele can also serve as an outside linebacker considering that's where he began his career with the Jaguars.

Charlie Anderson, a career special teamer in his first four seasons in the NFL, will likely be given first crack at replacing Taylor. The Trifecta has been high on Anderson ever since his college days because of his combination of size and athleticism. But how much of a pass rushing threat can he really be considering he's contributed all of three sacks in four seasons.

Quentin Moses will also get a crack at replacing Taylor, but this is the first season the former college defensive end will be playing linebacker. That move back a few feet is a difficult one to make, so the adjustment could take time.

The coaches experimented with moving defensive end Matt Roth to outside linebacker this summer. Roth has the size and pass rushing skills to make a move like that work, but I'm not sure he has the speed to cover a tight end or tailback coming out of the backfield. However, moving him would open the door for Randy Starks, Phillip Merling or Kendall Langford to serve as the starter opposite Vonnie Holliday.

There are also a few long-shots to make the roster who COULD potentially step up their game in a major way.

Junior Glymph, who spent last season in Dallas' training camp, has history with these coaches. Rookies Keith Saunders and Titus Brown showed flashes of athleticism and speed during OTA sessions, and might be worthy of an investment. But that investment might be practice squad, not the 53-man roster.

Rob Ninkovich, a waiver wire pickup last season, is a former college defensive end who has been working on that conversion to outside linebacker for the past couple of seasons.

Ninkovich has just as much of a chance to surprise the world as anyone else. He's one of the many bodies on the roster (and possibly on someone else's roster) who will be pushing themselves this summer to fill JT's very large shoes.

So, which way do you go in replacing Taylor?

> Posted by Omar Kelly at 7:58:50 AM

  If you READ  the article Titled "What Everbody is saying about the JT Trade", you will see that at least 2 other teams were in talks with Miami on Sunday to deal for Jason Taylor.....therefore you are wrong in your statement.....they took the Skins deal because it was the best offer on the table.....Mr. Parcells/Mr. Ireland and Coach Sparano did a GREAT job of handling this situation ;)

  Good call DoctorD!!!!

And was it already the middle of October...you know, the trade deadline? Or do you think that the majority of defensive starters that will get injured this season will get injured from this point forward? Nobody else was shopping for JAT at that point yet because nobody had put together their shopping list yet.  Are you reeeeeally telling me that you believe that NOBODY would have been interested in dealing for JT between now and mid-October? Or are you admitting that your statement above is just a wee bit on the premature side?

Bottom line...Parcells did get lucky that a desperate man with a penchant for impulse-buying (Snyder) showed up at Miami's door the moment the store opened for business, but JT was destined to be traded at some point this season regardless.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/07/fins-jt-trade-1.html

Fins: JT traded (aftermath #2)

Reading through some of the previous posts, and many good points were raised.

I want to highlight some of them.

Thought we'd start with this one:

Is Washington truly a contender, even with Jason Taylor?

Yes, the Redskins are in the weaker conference.

But they play in the NFC's best division.

They have the most questionable quarterback situation in that division.

They have a good running game, and Chris Cooley is a solid player, but they had trouble getting the ball to their receivers last season.

They remind me a little of the Jay Fiedler teams that were good, but not good enough. They rallied emotionally to make the playoffs after Sean Taylor's murder, but I never saw them as a serious threat to reach the Super Bowl. And that was under Joe Gibbs.

On paper, they still aren't close to the Cowboys. They also fall behind the Giants and Packers, and are in the mix with the Seahawks, Bucs, Vikings, Eagles and maybe the Panthers and Cardinals.

And they have a first-year coach (Jim Zorn) with an offensive background but no NFL head coaching experience. We know how well that worked for Taylor the last time around.

I expect them to fall between 8-8 and 10-6.

Your prediction: does Taylor make the playoffs this season?

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 10:46:02 AM

no .. JT does not make the playoffs .. and in year 2 of his redskin experience, they also do not make the playoffs while the dolphins do

Good Luck to Jason Taylor, I hope he makes it to the Super Bowl with the Skins, he's earned it!!  Always a good performer for the fins, very few injuries over the 11 years in aqua & orange.  If I recall Zach said he had to talk him into playing last year, so it's not like he's going to play much longer.  The Tuna definately did good for the Fins in the long run, although the defense will be a little worse off this year.

I am sad to see him go. After watching him over the last decade he was one of my favorite players along with Zach Thomas. Now they are both gone. It sucks but he wanted out and I can't blame him. This team is pathetic and has been for a few years now and he is nearing the end of his career. I do not think he will win a SuperBowl in Washington either but I wish him the best. Thanks for all of your years of service Jason you will be missed.

lebatard has a funny take on this whole thing... jt is playing for a team with a pretty good defense, new coach, and crappy starting qb/offense. its not like he hasn't been in this situation before.... :)

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/andycohen.asp?contentID=5883

Dolphins Made A Good Deal ... But It’s Tough To Say Goodbye To J.T.

July 21, 2008

Presented By
Andy Cohen

As much as it hurts, it had to happen. Had to happen for Jason Taylor. Had to happen for the Miami Dolphins. If this indeed is “A New Beginning” as the franchise keeps saying, then it is hard to include a soon-to-be 34-year-old defensive end in that reconstruction project.

It just wasn’t the right fit, even for a player that has meant so much to so many people. Jason Taylor is a member of the Washington Redskins today. It doesn’t even sound right, does it? But it is a reality that we are now forced to accept.

That the Dolphins waited until the offer was right, that they just didn’t unload Taylor for a third or fourth round pick, is a credit to the backbone of the people now in charge. Another regime might have caved in on draft day. Not Bill Parcells. Not Jeff Ireland. They refused to budge until they got what they believed a player the caliber of Taylor justified on the open market.

And only after the Redskins suffered a couple of crippling injuries to defensive ends over the weekend, did the price reach what the Dolphins were looking for.

Make no mistake. This was the right trade for the Dolphins. A second and sixth round pick for a player who was taken in the third round way back in 1997, a player who might play two more seasons, might even only play one.

You couldn’t have expected the Dolphins to have gotten much more than that, and they refused to settle for less. It was good value, a smart move.

It was also a good trade for Taylor, who wanted in the worst way to play for a team on the cusp of something special. No, the Redskins would not have been his first choice. Probably not second or third either. They made the playoffs last year, but weren’t really a serious Super Bowl threat. There are no guarantees that this year will be any different, though with Taylor now in the fold their chances have improved dramatically.

In Taylor’s perfect world, he would have been traded to a West Coast team so he could continue to pursue his Hollywood ambitions. But when you want out, when the rumors swirl that you won’t play for the Dolphins, you’ve got to take what you can get. And today, rest assured, there is a smile on Jason Taylor’s face.

If there is a smile on the face of the Miami Dolphins, it is only because they received fair trade value. But, in truth, that smile must come with an empty feeling. It is sad when arguably the best defensive player in team history has to finish his career somewhere else. It is sad when such a strong pillar in the community must now go somewhere else. It is sad when the most popular player on the team leaves town because he wants a chance to play for a Super Bowl.

This isn’t how the perfect script would have unfolded. But it is what we are left with after six straight seasons without a trip to the playoffs.

Jason Taylor should be saluted today. He is a class act, a wonderful person and the most dominating defensive player I have been fortunate enough to cover on a regular basis. In so many ways, he was the voice of this franchise and that voice always seemed to say what the fan in Section 145, Row 27 wanted to hear.

If there is any solace, we got to see the best of Jason Taylor. The Redskins are there for the final verse, but we got the best of his music. All those sacks. All those dances. All those plays two seasons ago that led to Taylor being chosen Defensive Player of the Year. When Taylor is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I’m betting he will be, rest assured he will go in as a member of the Dolphins. This isn’t a divorce as much as it is a separation. Unfortunate, but necessary.

Which was your favorite Jason Taylor moment? There was so many. No player before him was so proficient at what I call “the triple play.” That’s a sack, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble. I remember a play just before halftime in Cincinnati a few years ago that turned the game in Miami’s favor. I remember those touchdowns, when Taylor would cross the goal line in that Michael Jordan pose. The man certainly knew how to seize the moment.

I remember a quote from Tom Brady after a game a few years ago, “I just wish someone would block No. 99.”

Oh, they sure tried. Often two at a time. Sometimes three. But when the desire to get to the quarterback exceeds the will to stop him, Taylor is going to get his sack. And nobody can ever question that desire.

So now Taylor moves on. And so do the Dolphins. Now, with Zach in Dallas and Jason in Washington, it is truly “A New Beginning” for this franchise. Give Parcells and Ireland credit. They saw this coming. They drafted a couple of promising defensive ends last April. They signed some outside linebackers in free agency.

But before we move on, we must say thanks. We must salute a player who, in truth, can not be easily replaced. We must recognize a career perhaps like none other in team history. We must congratulate the person for touching so many lives in South Florida, touching them with grace and dignity.

Yes, it had to happen. But that doesn’t make it any easier. Training camp begins this weekend. There is a lot of excitement. A new coach. Many new players. A reality that seems to shout that this franchise is finally heading in the right direction.

But the reality today is that they will do it without big, lanky No. 99.

Thanks for the ride, Jason. You put on one whale of a show.

I hope the Cowboys put a dirty spanking on the Redskins every time they play.  I don't like Taylor's baby attitude during all of this.  Thomas on the other hand was admirable in how shitty his treatment was.  I'll root for the Cowboys a million times to reach the Superbowl for Thomas over the Skins and Taylor.

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/07/fins-jt-trade-2.html?cid=123205716#comment-123205716

Fins: JT traded (aftermath #3)

The Giants are reportedly trading Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans for second and fifth round picks in 2009.

Also in the report: the Saints were trying to get involved over the weekend in a three-way trade that would have involved Jason Taylor and brought them Shockey.

(That doesn't come as a huge surprise, because my colleague Omar Kelly had heard something a few weeks back about the Saints being involved in a three-way deal that would have sent Taylor to the Giants, Shockey to New Orleans and draft picks to the Dolphins. I made a vague reference to a three-way scenario on the blog, but we didn't report it because sources in New York didn't confirm.)

Anyway, now that you see what the Giants got for Shockey, how do you feel about the return for Taylor?

Shockey is six years younger, but he has been more distraction than difference-maker the past few years. He figures to play longer, though I don't know what to make of Vinny Cerrato's confidence that Taylor will play at least two more seasons. Taylor's camp was adamant that he would only play one season, up until Taylor's seemingly self-defeating disclosure to that effect.

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 1:58:41 PM

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/21/live_from_redskins_park.html

Live from Redskins Park...

By Ben Volin | Monday, July 21, 2008, 03:45 PM

ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Taylor may have been traded to Washington, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t track his every move, right?

Taylor and his new entourage arrived here at Redskins park a little after 4:30 p.m., and an introductory press conference is set for 6 p.m. He has to take a physical, and is supposed to practice with his new teammates tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. It will be more than a little strange seeing JT in the burgundy-and-gold, but I guess we better get used to it.

The town is obviously giddy about Taylor’s arrival. The Skins have lacked an elite pass-rusher since Lavar Arrington left town (and before that, the team signed players like over-the-hill Bruce Smith to get any semblance of a pass rush). Among playoff teams last year, only Indianapolis and their 28 sacks had fewer than Washington’s 33.

The Skins under Dan Snyder (since 1999) have a history of signing aging veterans that don’t exactly work out (Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, Jeff George, Mark Brunell, Mark Carrier, Steve Spurrier, and on and on). But this is not like those trades. JT is not being asked to come in and be a savior. The Redskins made the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, and aren’t counting on Taylor to turn around the franchise. And Taylor, 33, still has at least two more good seasons left, if not more. Defensive linemen (like Bruce Smith, Reggie White off the top of my head) can often play through their late 30s and into their 40s.

Washington Post columnist Mike Wise makes essentially the same point in his column today:

“This was big and bold — back to the proactive days when rebuilding through the draft could not hold a candle to rebuilding on the fly, when Daniel Snyder saw a player he liked and promptly bought him.

And before anyone compares acquiring Taylor to throwing money away on Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith or Brandon Lloyd, let’s be clear: After watching Daniels go down and out for the season — and maybe his career — and after watching a backup like Buzbee crumple to the ground in agony, this was a move the Redskins needed to make.

Sure, they have a lousy track record when it comes to procuring someone else’s star — whose best work is often behind him. Yet, plucking Taylor from a franchise that can still finish 1-15 without him was a deal born of desperation. In his first deal that Cerrato alone gets credit or blame for, he went about as far out on a limb as he could go. “

It’s funny listening to the one-sidedness of the local sports-talk radio. I tuned into The John Thompson Show (the ex-Georgetown basketball coach) on the drive over to the park, and couldn’t help but laugh at all the Bill Parcells bashing.

John Thompson, former Redskins great Brian Mitchell and co-host Al Koken bashed Parcells for giving Taylor grief about not showing up to voluntary minicamps. They bashed Parcells for snubbing Taylor in April at the team’s facility. They bashed Parcells for “only” getting a second- and sixth-round pick for their Franchise Player.

They bashed Parcells for … being Parcells. They’re good at that in this town. Parcells is a Giant and a Cowboy at heart. He is always the enemy here.

Not that either side was right or wrong in the JT saga this offseason. But the one-sidedness of the conversation here in DC is hilarious. Parcells probably hates ice cream and puppies, too.

it'll be funny to see the dolphins actually win more games than the redskins next year  ;D

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-gooddealformiawash072008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Taylor move logical for Dolphins, Redskins

By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports
Jul 20, 11:26 pm EDT
 
Bill Parcells must have spent a lot of time on the phone Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins vice president of football operations, responding to a Yahoo! Sports report that Jason Taylor and the organization had agreed to part ways, said in March: “Taylor is going to play for the Dolphins unless he retires. And I tell you what: If we trade Jason Taylor, I’ll call you myself to tell you it’s happening. But I’m not going to have to do that because it isn’t happening. That’s how sure I am.”

Clearly, certainty turned to reconsideration as Taylor – a six-time Pro Bowler, the league’s reigning Man of the Year and 2006 defensive player of the year – was traded to the Washington Redskins on Sunday for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and sixth-rounder in 2010. The deal was logical and necessary for all parties involved.

“This move really revitalizes Jason for the end of his career,” Gary Wichard, Taylor’s agent, said Sunday.

Only a month ago, Taylor was talking about how he might retire after this season if he had to play for the Dolphins, opting instead to pursue his budding acting career. But before finalizing the deal, the Redskins asked Taylor to promise that he would play at least the final two years of his contract. He agreed, according to Wichard.

Still, Washington’s immediate concern is ‘08 and stabilizing a line that lost defensive end Phillip Daniels to a season-ending left knee injury Sunday, the Redskins’ opening day of training camp practices. Beyond replacing Daniels, acquiring Taylor gives Washington a dynamic defender who forces opposing offensive coordinators to sweat quite a bit.

The Redskins made the playoffs last season, but it required an improbable late-season push that was fueled, in part, by the emotional circumstances surrounding the death of star safety Sean Taylor. In a division that includes the Super Bowl champion Giants, a loaded Cowboys squad and three supremely talented passers (Eli Manning, Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb), the Redskins needed a good pass rusher who can cause steady disruption.

Taylor, one of the most dynamic athletes in the NFL, can rush or cover with nearly equal ability. He can play in a 4-3 or in a 3-4. Just move him around and watch offensive linemen stumble trying to find him.

While Taylor is much closer to the end of his career than to the beginning, it says plenty that at least eight teams were calling the Dolphins regularly to check on his availability, according to a Dolphins team source.

For Taylor, the move is huge because it puts him on a competitive team after six years of watching the Dolphins get progressively worse. It also puts him on a relatively big stage again, something Taylor loves. Not only do the Redskins play in the Sept. 4 season opener against the Giants, but they have two more prime-time games against Pittsburgh and Dallas.

That’s three big chances to get Taylor’s mug all over the airwaves, only a few months after his impressive performance on “Dancing With the Stars.”

With the Dolphins, there were no prime-time games and little hope of getting back there anytime soon. The team bottomed out last year at 1-15 and Taylor had enough. As much as Taylor has invested himself in the South Florida community, he wanted out. He told the Dolphins that at the end of last season and Wichard kept on the team during the offseason.

Now, Parcells, new general manager Jeff Ireland and new coach Tony Sparano can go about restructuring the team rather than answering daily questions about Taylor, who was the roster’s only star.

At 33, Taylor has spent six years watching the Dolphins try to rebuild. Parcells is starting the latest rebuilding program and he desperately needs young players to rejuvenate a roster that is loaded with flotsam.

Despite Parcells’ proclamation in the spring, everybody knew the deal. The Dolphins aren’t going to be competitive for a couple of years, at best. It’s not just that the roster is bad, but the skill position players are woeful. Start with quarterback, where Josh McCown, John Beck and rookie Chad Henne are competing for the starting job. No matter who wins the job, it’s unlikely that New England coach Bill Belichick is going to be sweating over how to defend against them this year.

Or next year.

At wide receiver, the hope is that 2007 first-round pick Ted Ginn Jr. will become a star, but he didn’t show much promise of greatness last season.

Ultimately, Parcells didn’t like the idea of being pushed around, particularly by an agent, but a deal had to be done.

It was for the best of all involved.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-721jasontaylor,0,3536813.story

Jason Taylor: Piece of my heart in Miami

By Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

7:50 PM EDT, July 21, 2008

Standing so close to three Super Bowl trophies he's longed to hold, former Dolphins defensive star Jason Taylor bid farewell to Miami and hello to the Washington Redskins, his new employer since Sunday's stunning trade.

Taylor, who was acquired by the Redskins late Sunday afternoon for a second-round draft pick next season and a sixth-rounder in 2010, continued to deny any rift ever existed between him and Bill Parcells, the Dolphins vice president of football operations. The alleged misunderstanding was reportedly over Taylor's participation in the Dancing with the Stars, reality television show instead of attending offseason voluntary workouts with his teammates.

"There was no animosity, no hard feelings, no negativity,'' said Taylor at a 6 p.m. Monday press conference held at Redskins training facilities in Ashburn, Va. "Miami has been great to me for 11 years. I owe so much to what I am today to the city of Miami, the organization [and co-owner] Wayne Huizenga.

"I love them to death. That's where we make our home. I have no problem with Miami at all or with the Dolphins. A piece of my heart will always belong to Miami, but now I'm a Redskin and very happy to be.''

Taylor said he hasn't talked to Parcells since the trade went down because they've both been busy.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Taylor said he had no intention of holding out in an attempt to force a trade from the Dolphins. Instead, he was preparing to report to Dolphins headquarters on Friday and participate in the first practice Saturday morning when he was notified of the trade by a phone call at 6:15 p.m. from Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato.

"I was ready to play football in Miami,'' Taylor said. "It wasn't a situation where I was disgusted to have to go play for the Miami Dolphins. It wasn't like that at all. I was ready to go.

"We had five more days so I wasn't quite ready to jump into training camp. … This has all been very accelerated in the last 24 hours and that's fine.''

Redskins coach Jim Zorn said Taylor would be introduced to the entire team at a 7:30 p.m. meeting as, "one of the guys,'' and be expected to practice Tuesday morning. The trade talks heated up Sunday afternoon after Washington lost two defensive ends on their first day of practice, including starter Phillip Daniels and reserve Alex Busbee.

Taylor's family, including his wife Katina and three children, were in Dallas visiting her brother, former Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas. Thomas, a seven-time Pro Bowl player for the Dolphins, was signed by the Cowboys earlier in the offseason.

"I'll see Zach in a different way now,'' Taylor said of his brother-in-law, who he will now play against at least twice a season as fellow members of the NFC East. "We were teammates for 11 years. I owe so much to Zach, too. He made me into such a better player. He's such a professional in the way he carries himself and plays the game regardless of the circumstances.

"But now he's with the Cowboys and those aren't good words around here. I found that out very quickly.''

Taylor said that Snyder sent his plane to pick his family up in Dallas and then stopped in South Florida to transport Taylor to Washington Monday morning where he took his first complete physical since the Scouting Combine in 1997.

"I felt young again,'' he joked.

Taylor, who turns 34 on Sept. 1, has two years remaining on his contract for approximately $16.5 million. Despite making comments last month about playing one more season he has assured the Redskins he would at the very least honor his contract.

"I'm going to play out my contract,'' he said. "I'll be here for more than one year, God willing, unless something happens bad, I'm here to play ball as long as I can.''

Taylor gave credit to former Dolphins defensive end Trace Armstrong for being a mentor, and admitted that he has been talking regularly to former Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino for advice over the last several months.

"He's Mr. Miami,'' Taylor said. "Dan gave me advice as to what he thought I should do or what would be best for me or the organization in Miami. Dan has been a very big influence on my whole career, whether it was as a player or the foundation or doing work in the community or as a person in general.''

He said that it was possible for the 1-15 Dolphins to turn it around and become the Saints of two seasons ago and make the playoffs

Ironically, several reports have indicated that the Saints were trying to broker a three-way deal with the Dolphins and Giants that would've sent tight end Jeremy Shockey to New Orelans and Taylor to the Super Bowl champion Giants. The Dolphins would've ended up with a 2009 second-round pick and 2010 fifth-round pick.

Taylor jokingly suggested that he would be willing to pay a moderate price to wrest his uniform No. 99 away from Redskins veteran defensive end Andre Carter, but that the only dancing he'd be doing in the immediate future would be to, "celebrate big plays.''

"Some people do it for money and fame,'' Taylor said of playing professional football. "All those things are great but the reason I play the game is to win. I think this organization here, the Washington Redskins, give me a great chance to win this year, and to build on that in the coming years.''

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/07/news-and-notes.html#comments

News and notes following Jason Taylor trade

Clearing out the notebook of things I have been told and have witnessed:

1. Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells likes to make the point that he is neither the Dolphins coach nor general manager. Not his job, he says. Tony Sparano is the coach and Jeff Ireland is the GM. And while Parcells isn't actually going to be on the sideline coaching, he definitely is serving as GM, casting an immense shadow over Ireland.

When it came time to make the decisions on the Jason Taylor deal this week, it was Parcells making the call. When Redskins executive Vinny Cerrato went looking for a defensive end to replace Phillip Daniels, he called Parcells not Ireland. He negotiated with Parcells, not Ireland.

"We went out to practice at 3 p.m., and I talked to Bill Parcells probably like three times on the practice field, back and forth," Cerrato told ESPN radio on Monday. "We went and discussed some different terms, we came in after practice, talked to 3 or 4 of the veterans players, and asked them what they thought, what type of guy and everything Taylor is and they said great guy. Everything was positive. I called Parcells back around 6:15 and told him, we'll do the deal. We faxed papers back and forth, got Jason Taylor on the phone and we were done."

According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Parcells was so in charge of the deal, he even told Cerrato: "All right, I'll fax you the paperwork. It's done."

I don't think any of us should have a problem with any of this. I think everyone can agree Parcells has a reputation that Ireland doesn't yet have and his experience also trumps the young GM's experience. But let's drop the pretenses, shall we?

The Dolphins, for whatever reason, continue to insist that Parcells is a shadow contributor while Ireland is the decision-maker. When the team finally got around to confirming the trade the entire Western Hemisphere knew had been made hours earlier, they released quotes from Wayne Huizenga and Ireland. I can understand Huizenga's statement was necessary because the owner has a history with Taylor, a long-time contributor. But if teams are speaking almost exclusively to Parcells, if the rest of the NFL understand Parcells is running the show, don't Miami fans deserve to hear from him?

Everyone knows Parcells is the ultimate decision-maker, deal-maker, and lord of all football realms in Miami. Teams around the league have no problem acknowledging it. Wish the Dolphins would.

2. As I reported yesterday, the Dolphins were involved with a couple of teams on the Taylor front. New Orleans and the Giants were involved with Miami in some talks and it should come as no surprise those two teams made a trade today, sending tight end Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans for multiple draft picks.

Apparently, New Orleans coach Sean Payton was so eager to get Shockey, he tried to involve the Dolphins in a three-way deal with New York. The Saints would get Shockey, the Giants would have gotten Jason Taylor and the Dolphins woul have gotten draft picks.

I cannot confirm how far those talks went (not far enough, apparently) but one source tells me earlier this offseason the Giants and Dolphins were talking about making a Shockey for Taylor deal. That conversation obviously didn't go very far either, but geez, doesn't that deal sound a whole lot more palatable for Miami than what it eventually got for Taylor?

Shockey for Taylor? Maybe I'm showing my love for The U -- yeah I've got a Miami license plate on one of my cars -- but I would have loved this trade. A 27-year-old Pro Bowl tight end trumps a 2009 second round pick any day in my book. And a 27-year-old Pro Bowl tight end for a 33-year-old defensive end sounds like a good deal for Miami.

But I guess the Dolphins (Parcells) decided he didn't want the New York malcontent coming to his Miami team and possibly, you know, ruining the great offensive chemistry the Dolphins already have in their passing game. Plus why would anyone want to upgrade over David Martin?

I understand the minuses of getting Shockey, but I see a lot on the plus side that the future draft pick doesn't offer.

3. Anybody notice how everyone in this whole JT saga pretty much lost credibility with things they said?

Parcells in March: "The only way Jason Taylor does not play for the Dolphins is if he retires. The team is not going to trade him."

Taylor in June: "I told the Dolphins my intentions from Day One. My intentions are to play one more year."

Um, in case you haven't noticed, Taylor was traded Sunday contrary to what Parcells said. And Taylor immediately told the Redskins he would be happy to play out the remaining two years of his current contract and left open the possibility of signing a new deal after that.

4. Taylor had not talked to former Miami teammate, brother-in-law and new rival Zach Thomas as of Monday afternoon. "I'll see Zach in a different way now," Taylor said at his press conference Monday afternoon. "He made me a better player over the years. But now he's with the Cowboys and those aren't good words around here."

5. Taylor, who reads this blog religiously and was upset with moi when I suggested he lied danced around requesting a trade, is concerned about his legacy with Miami fans.

"You always worry about perception because sometimes it can become reality for some people," Taylor said. "When the media starts to paint a picture a certain way, you can't address everything. There are so many blogs and writers out now that you can't address everything. And sometimes the perception becomes so big that it disappoints you. And sometimes you have to look at the body of work. He's done this for so long and this is the kind of guy he is. He's done it this way, week in and week out and year in and year out so we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Because you can't address everything."

5. The Dolphins get a very nice cap relief after trading Taylor. The just cleared something on the order of $7-7.5 million. That means they have approximately $21 million under the cap. Now they can go out and shop aggressively in free agency ... or not.

Your thoughts?

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_football_dolphins/2008/07/jt-almost-ended.html

J.T. almost ended up on Giants

Guys, I got it confirmed from my New Orleans source that the Saints were trying to broker a trade over the weekend that would've sent Jason Taylor to the Super Bowl champion Giants where he would've been the perfect replacement for retired DE Michael Strahan.

In return, the Giants would've sent former UM tight end Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans (which they ended up doing on Monday), and the Saints would've given the Dolphins a second-rounder next season and a fifth-rounder in 2010, instead of the second rounder and sixth rounder that the Redskins eventually gave Miami.

Do you think J.T. would've preferred going to the Big Apple than the nation's capitol where the Redskins might be the fourth best team in the NFC East, instead of the Super Bowl champs? Plus, think of all the television contacts he could've made in NYC?

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men ....

By the way no matter how much Parcells doth protest and say he is leaving the heavy lifting to GM Jeff Ireland and coach Tony Sparano, did you notice that Redskins VP of football ops Vinny Cerrato said all day Monday that he dealt with Parcells on the phone throughout Sunday's negotiations - and not Ireland.

> Posted by hfialkov at 8:32:17 PM

Go back to this thread and read what I posted a little over a month ago. From a personal source, friends of mine in New York and in Dallas that's still got ties to the NFL, The Giants knew that Strahan was going to retire and wanted to deal Shockey to the Dolphins for Taylor but Parcells didn't like Shockey.

Bill never forgot the "homo" comment and neither did the NFL brass. behind the scenes the NFL was going to suspend Shockey because they did get flax from Gay and Lesbian groups. Instead, he was fined by the team.

Jerry Jones wanted Taylor so badly that he was willing to part with safety Roy Williams and a late round draft pick. Williams had become a headache for the Cowboys and has developed a poor work ethic and was exposed in the passing game. Williams is good but unless you're Darren Woodson, who set such a high standard at Dallas, you're tradeable.

Jones envisioned Demarcus Ware and Taylor terrorizing quarterbacks with Taylor easily fitting in to Wade Phillips 3-4 defense. Parcells nixed that idea partially because of an ego thing. You put Taylor on the Cowboys squad and they are almost guaranteed to be in the Super Bowl.

Here's the thread

...http://www.thedolphinsmakemecry.com/forums/index.php?topic=10963.msg114830#msg114830

P.S. Tommy actually nailed what the Giants wanted to do.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/21/taylorweb.html

Jason Taylor: Exit from Miami is amicable

By BEN VOLIN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, July 21, 2008

ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Taylor hasn't been seen much around the Dolphins' Davie practice facility this off-season, but there he was Sunday afternoon, organizing the shoes in his locker and getting ready for the start of training camp this weekend.

"I hadn't been there for awhile," Taylor said. "I always go in before camp, before the guys come in. It's nice and quiet, get set up, situated. Same thing I've been doing for the last 11 years."

Except this time was different.

On his way home, he finally got the phone call he'd been waiting for all summer - the one from his agent telling him that the Dolphins had agreed to swap the 33-year-old defensive end to the Washington Redskins, a playoff contender, for second- and sixth-round draft picks.

The one that ended months of speculation and no-comments and threats of a holdout.

The one that ended his stellar career with the Miami Dolphins.

"It's bittersweet," Taylor said Monday, wearing a suit with burgundy pinstripes and a burgundy tie at his introductory news conference at Redskins Park. "I had 11 great years in Miami, and Miami is home. But it's a chance for me to write a new chapter or two in my career."

Taylor, drafted in the third round in 1997, leaves as one of the most-decorated players in Dolphins history.

He recorded 117 sacks, made six Pro Bowls and was named by fans to the All-Time Dolphins team.

He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year and then later NFL Man of the Year for the charity he does with the Jason Taylor Foundation, and will continue to call Miami his home in the off-season.

Yet it was a move all sides wanted to make. Taylor gets to play for a contender, the Redskins get a Pro Bowl defensive end and the Dolphins get the draft picks they need to accelerate their rebuilding process.

On Monday, Taylor called the split "amicable" and said there was "no animosity" between him, first-year Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, new General Manager Jeff Ireland or Bill Parcells, Miami's new head of football operations. But after his news conference, he admitted that he could've handled the situation differently.

This spring, while all 84 of his Dolphins teammates participated in voluntary off-season workouts, Taylor was in Hollywood, dancing and mingling with the stars. He didn't make any public declarations about his intentions, didn't appreciate getting snubbed by Parcells, and it was Sparano - not Taylor - announcing publicly in May that Taylor would hold out of training camp.

Taylor had to call a special media session at his charity event in June to make it clear that he wasn't going to be holding out. He did say then that he wasn't sure he would play past 2008, but Taylor cleared the air Monday by saying he plans to play out the length of his contract. Taylor, whose 1001/2 sacks this decade are the most in the NFL, is signed through 2009 at about $7.5 million per season.

"When it's the off-season, I'm off. I'm not going to talk to the media about all this stuff," Taylor said. "I was in L.A. having a good time, doing my thing. That's why I wasn't pleasing everybody, and I guess people come up with their own opinions. From my point of view, there was no animosity, there was no hard feelings, no negativity."

Taylor said that he hasn't spoken with Parcells since news of the trade broke Sunday evening. He also hasn't had a chance to speak with brother-in-law and former teammate Zach Thomas, also discarded by the Dolphins this off-season and now Taylor's rival with the Dallas Cowboys.

"I'll see Zach in a different way now," Taylor joked. "I owe Zach a lot, but he's with the Cowboys, and those aren't good words around here. I found that out very quickly."

Taylor's wife, Katina (who is Thomas' sister), and their three children were in Dallas last weekend visiting Thomas. Redskins owner Dan Snyder sent his private jet to Dallas on Monday morning to return them to Miami.

Taylor gave them a quick kiss and a hug, got back on Snyder's plane and headed to Washington. After arriving at Redskins Park at 4:30 p.m., he spent the next three hours meeting his new teammates, coaches and a horde of local media.

"It's been a whirlwind, the last 24 hours," Taylor said. "It still hasn't set in yet."

Today, at 8:30 a.m., he hits the practice field as a Washington Redskin. But his locker in Davie is still intact.

"Sometimes things have to change, and that's where we find ourselves now," Taylor said. "They're boxing my stuff up as we speak."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/21/a6c_dolphins_0722.html

Which Dolphin will supply pressure now?

By EDGAR THOMPSON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, July 21, 2008

DAVIE — Former Dolphin Jason Taylor started a team-record 130 games.

Cornerback Will Allen now leads Dolphins' defenders with 21 consecutive starts.

Taylor had 117 sacks, or 114 more than his possible replacement, fourth-year outside linebacker Charlie Anderson.

No member of Miami's defense has been selected to the Pro Bowl as a Dolphin, much less to six of them like Taylor.

Add it up and Taylor's trade Sunday to Washington for two draft picks (a 2009 second-rounder and 2010 sixth-rounder) makes the Dolphins - the NFL's worst team last season - even worse.

"They're not going to be as good," one former NFL executive said. "I think the arrow was pointing down (on Taylor's level of performance), but he's still better than anyone they have.

"You have to remember, you're looking at a bigger picture here."

Many rebuilding efforts require teams to take one or two steps back to eventually end up several steps ahead.

But until Bill Parcells works his rebuilding magic in Miami, someone will have to step in for Taylor.

Taylor, who turns 34 on Sept. 1 and failed to make a sack in eight games last season, might not be the dominant player who had 181/2 sacks in 2002 or earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006.

But no Dolphins player can match Taylor's explosiveness as a pass rusher, raising a red flag for a team that ranked 24th in the NFL a season ago with 30 sacks - 11 by Taylor.

A handful of players will look to pick up the slack, beginning with last year's biggest free-agent signing, outside linebacker Joey Porter.

The Dolphins hope Porter, who had just 51/2 sacks, including only 11/2 in the team's first 11 games, bounces back in a scheme similar to the one he played in during three Pro Bowl seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Blessed with quickness more than Taylor's flat-out speed, Porter, 31, twice had a career high 101/2 sacks, a total Taylor has surpassed in six of the past eight seasons.

Anderson, 26, likely will get the first crack to line up opposite Porter at right-side outside linebacker in the team's new 3-4 defensive scheme long used by Bill Parcells. The position, played in the '80s by New York Giants Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and currently by Dallas Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware, would have been well suited to Taylor's pure pass-rushing skills.

Anderson, on the other hand, primarily played special teams during four seasons in Houston and managed only three sacks when he did line up at outside linebacker. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Anderson, 26, does have the size, athletic ability and range needed to play outside in the 3-4 scheme.

Second-year pro Quentin Moses looks to be a much better pure pass rusher than Anderson. But Moses bounced around the league a season ago after he finished his career at the University of Georgia.

Selected in the third round by Oakland in last year's NFL Draft, Moses, 24, didn't even make the team. He also was signed and released by Arizona before landing in Miami, where he had 11/2 sacks in seven games as an end.

The 6-5, 260-pound Moses is moving to linebacker from defensive end, so he might be more of a project.

Taylor spent much of his career at defensive end but had the athletic ability to move around the line or drop into coverage.

In the new scheme, the Dolphins want ends that can occupy blockers, stop the run and pressure the quarterback when possible.

The team returns ends Matt Roth and Vonnie Holliday, added Randy Starks through free agency and drafted two - second-round pick Phillip Merling and third-round pick Kendall Langford.

Roth plays with energy, but lacks size, and Holliday doesn't have the speed to rush from the outside. The 312-pound Starks played defensive tackle before coming to Miami from Tennessee, but he worked at end during the off-season.

The 6-4, 275-pound Merling and 6-6, 287-pound Langford each fits the mold of a 3-4 end. Each also has the skills to develop into an effective pass rusher.

Longtime draft analyst Frank Coyle of draftinsiders.com said Langford is an amazing athlete for his size and could eventually become "a surprise starter" for the Dolphins. Langford played in a 3-4 scheme in college, but Coyle said he needs to develop NFL pass-rushing skills because he played at Division II Hampton University.

Merling was projected to be a top-20 pick out of Clemson until suffering a sports hernia that required surgery. Coyle said Merling could be a steal who could develop into a pass-rushing presence at either end of the line.

"Early expectations have to be tempered because of health issues," Coyle said. "But he's a really nice player with a lot of potential."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/21/a1c_stoda_0723.html

Commentary: Good guy Taylor gets away in end ... just like he wanted

By GREG STODA
Palm Beach Post Staff Columnist

Monday, July 21, 2008

Jason Taylor is one of the good guys.

He has done much for the South Florida community in terms of charitable work, and was a star athlete of the highest rank for more than a decade from his defensive end/outside linebacker position with the Miami Dolphins.

He is personable and engaging in conversation off the field, and a fierce competitor well-respected by teammates and opponents alike on it.

But let's also remember how Taylor - both by word and deed - pushed for the trade the Dolphins made Sunday night in sending him to the Washington Redskins.

He wanted out.

The Dolphins, in restructuring mode, weren't inclined to keep Taylor, anyway, but he did more than just help the franchise open the exit door. He played to Miami's desires by making his own desires clear.

Taylor and the Dolphins had no time for each other, which made the timing perfect for farewells. Taylor will be 34 years old in September, which puts him near the end of a career just as the Dolphins are ready to embark upon a new era trying to climb up from the depths a 1-15 record compiled last season.

"You want to win," Taylor told reporters at his Redskins introductory news conference Monday. "Some people (play) for money, for fame, for whatever reason. All of those things are great, but the reason I play the game is to win."

And he realized the Dolphins aren't likely to win in the manner he hopes anytime soon.

Taylor wasn't as duplicitous as was new Dolphinczar Bill Parcells in their prolonged game of hide-'n'-seek with the truth, but neither was he above sending whatever message suited his purpose.

And not just with the Dancing with the Stars complication, which was a convenient tool for Taylor and, as it turned out, Parcells as well.

"Things got out of control," Taylor said.

No kidding.

Taylor, for example, said playing for the Dolphins this season would have been fine with him when it quite obviously would have made him miserable. Taylor's comment about his intention to play only one more year was a plain and simple threat aimed at Parcells and his incoming regime of General Manager Jeff Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano, and proof already is abundantly clear. Taylor, after all, quickly informed the Redskins he'd be glad to fulfill the two seasons remaining on his contract.

"I'm on board. I'm gonna play out my contract," Taylor said. "I'll be here for more than one year, God willing. I'm here to play ball, and play ball as long as I can."

Parcells, meanwhile, comes off as a fool or a liar when his own words spoken not too long ago are reprinted: "The only way Jason Taylor doesn't play for the Dolphins in 2008 is if he retires."

Oh, really?

"From my point of view, there was no animosity," Taylor said. "I haven't talked to Bill Parcells since this happened. It's increasingly difficult to play with one organization because of the way the league is set up. Sometimes, you have to change, and that's where we find ourselves now."

It's possible, of course, that the Dolphins will get lucky and make big hits on the second- and sixth-round picks they're getting for Taylor in the NFL Draft the next two years, respectively. Miami is doing nothing more than gathering pieces, and this deal gives Parcells, Inc., two more.

But with Taylor gone so soon after Thomas' departure, the Dolphins lack a singular identity. Unless, that is, it's Parcells, which simply won't do. They're not as anonymous as, say, the Panthers, but they're close.

There's the quirky Ricky Williams as a weirdly interesting figure, and that's about it. Who else? Ronnie Brown? Channing Crowder? Joey Porter? Vonnie Holliday? Yeremiah Bell? Ted Ginn? Samson Satele? Jake Long?

For sure, the Dolphins don't have a star the quality of the Heat's Dwyane Wade or even the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez, which must be great news for franchise ticket-sellers given the economy and the team's prospects of achieving something as pedestrian as mediocrity.

Taylor's escape is to a good, not great team. (Thomas landed in a better spot in Dallas, but won't that Cowboys-Redskins rivalry now carry some extra spice for Miami fans?) Hardly is Washington assured of again making the NFC playoffs as it did last season, and the Redskins chased down Taylor in swift pursuit only after two of their defensive ends suffered season-ending injuries Sunday.

"A piece of my heart will always belong to Miami, but now I'm a Redskin," Taylor said.

He leaves the Dolphins as one of the best defenders in franchise history. Maybe the very best. He'll someday be in the Ring of Honor at Dolphin Stadium unless someone of influence holds a grudge, and an argument can be made that Taylor should get an NFL Hall of Fame bust someday, too.

But he's a Dolphin no longer.

Taylor and Parcells used each other to this result.

Assess credit or blame as you choose.

Gee? Jason Taylor went 8 games without a sack and ended up last season with 11? What if Cam Cameron would have not had Porter and Taylor playing out of position most of the season? They both picked up their play the second half of the season. Maybe the Dolphins could have eeked out 2 more games.

http://www.miamiherald.com/614/story/612906.html

A fresh start for Taylor in D.C.

BY JEFF DARLINGTON
Miami Herald

The cameras stopped clicking. The glitzy introduction had ended.

And now, in a much quieter moment, Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor was standing outside the doors of his new team's training facility Monday, about to hop into a gold Tahoe that would whisk him to a place where he would attend his first team meeting.

''I feel like we're sending you off to your first day of school,'' said Seth Levit, the person largely responsible for the success of Taylor's charitable foundation in South Florida.

''It's like you're back at Akron!'' joked Taylor's agent, Gary Wichard.

They all laughed. They all hugged. And even though each of them tried to make this into a casual goodbye, the way grown men like to do, it was clear that everyone realized this seemingly surreal scenario was actually so very real.

Taylor, who has spent 11 seasons as a household name with the Dolphins, had instantly become the newest face of a different franchise.

''This is very new to me,'' Taylor said earlier, as he stood in front of dozens of cameras and reporters during his introductory news conference with the Redskins.

The flashing cameras? The national attention? The bright lights that make his bald head bead with sweat? No, none of that is new. But this team -- and this feeling -- is something Taylor knows he's going to need time to get used to.

''This is my first time being on a new team,'' Taylor said. ``I haven't had to get a physical like that since the Combine [after college]. I felt young again.''

DAY TO REMEMBER

For Taylor, the rapid events of the past 24 hours had only begun to really sink in. After all, consider how Taylor spent his Sunday afternoon while the rest of his family was visiting in Dallas.

'I went and moved into the Dolphins' facility for training camp [which starts Friday],'' Taylor said. ``I organized my locker, since I hadn't been there for a while. I got all my shoes put together and all that. When I got home, I got a call from my agent.''

Strangely, just when Taylor took his first physical action toward accepting his future with the Dolphins he was simultaneously granted the trade he was hoping for.

''And now,'' Taylor added, ``those boxes are being packed as we speak.''

While Monday's news conference mostly could be characterized as Taylor's introduction to his new team (it took just more than a minute for him to point out the Redskins' three Super Bowl trophies resting in front of him), this also -- at times -- was about mending some of the perceived controversy between him and the Dolphins.

By asking for a trade, Taylor seemingly caused some fans to question his loyalty toward the organization. While he said he sometimes worries about that perception, he wants fans to eventually base their opinions on his entire body of work.

''From my point of view, there is no animosity,'' he said. ``That's home. Miami will still be home. I don't know anything about Virginia. This is my first time here. Miami is going to be home for me.''

So why did he want to leave?

''As an athlete, you want to win,'' Taylor said. ``The reason I play the game is to win, and I think the organization here and the Washington Redskins give me a great chance to win this year.''

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Taylor noted that his family will still live in South Florida, and Levit said Monday that Taylor's foundation will maintain its base in South Florida, although they also hope to expand to Taylor's new community.

Home, maybe. But no longer his home team.

After Monday's news conference ended, Taylor also took a moment to reflect on the past 11 years rather than simply look to his future. Because even though Monday might have been the beginning of a new challenge, it was the end of another.

''There have been so many great times,'' Taylor said. ``I still remember when Dan Marino said hello to me for the first time. I felt like a little kid. We've had some good games, some big wins. There's been so many great moments.

``This still hasn't totally set in yet, but this is bittersweet. I had 11 great years in Miami. That's home. But this is a new opportunity for me. It's a chance for me to write a new chapter.''

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-flspdolphins22sbjul22,0,171601.story

Who will fill void created when Jason Taylor left?

By Omar Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

11:53 PM EDT, July 21, 2008

Joey Porter has Jason Taylor's Pro Bowl pedigree. Quentin Moses' height resembles Taylor's lanky build. Charlie Anderson and Reggie Torbor have most of Taylor's athleticism. And Akin Ayodele has his good looks and charisma.

Combine those attributes and collectively these linebackers might help ease the departure of the Dolphins' top defender and face of the franchise for more than a decade.

At least that's the hope the Dolphins take into training camp, where one of the team's top priorities is finding a suitable substitute for the double-digit sacks the defensive end/ linebacker produced for six of the past eight seasons before his trade to Washington on Sunday for two future draft picks.

With Taylor on the trade market for most of the offseason, the Dolphins were proactive in finding possible replacements, and preparing to play without the six-time Pro Bowl selection. The offseason signings of Anderson, Torbor and Junior Glymph as free agents, and the trade that brought Ayodele from Dallas, provided some cushion that might help absorb Taylor's loss.

The Dolphins presently have six NFL veterans who have played outside linebacker, plus two undrafted rookie free agents in Keith Saunders and Titus Brown.

"We've got talent here. It's just about finding the best way to use it," Ayodele said.

Ayodele had a career-low 61 tackles last season, but the Dolphins liked him because of his versatility. He has started 76 games at both inside and outside linebacker, and will likely push for a starting spot in either place.

Whether it's inside or outside will likely depend on who steps up. He's expected to compete with Torbor and incumbent starter Channing Crowder for one of the two starting inside linebacker spots. The loser of that battle will likely enter the competition to replace Taylor, which started brewing during the workouts and minicamp sessions Taylor skipped this summer.

Anderson and Moses have filled in as the outside linebacker opposite Porter during the Dolphins offseason program, and like Taylor and Porter, both were college defensive ends who are being asked to become pass-rushing outside linebackers.

Dolphins executives Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland have had interest in Anderson since the 2004 draft. They jumped on the opportunity to add the former Mississippi defensive end by offering the four-year veteran a lofty deal the first day of free agency.

"It's always makes you feel good when you are somewhere where you are wanted. I feel good about the situation," Anderson said earlier this summer. "My mind is open on all possibilities, but I've been known as a special-teams stud and that's the minimum of what I plan to bring."

Moses contributed eight tackles and 1 1/2 sacks playing behind Taylor for the final eight games last season, but this former Georgia standout recently admitted he was primarily freelancing his rookie season. Now, his challenge is to prove he's what coach Tony Sparano classifies as an "up-and-coming guy" by mastering the new techniques he's learning as a linebacker.

Moses, a third-round pick who was cut twice in his rookie season, doesn't regret his early failures because he said without them he wouldn't have improved. And wouldn't be in this situation, battling for a starting spot.

"The mental part of the game was where I struggled. Last year there was a point in time when I was so low from being cut from Oakland, and released from Arizona that I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong," Moses said. "[My struggles] taught me to be mentally strong, and that's where I've had the biggest growth."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/21/sparano_loss_of_jt_is_anderson.html

Sparano: loss of JT is Anderson and Moses’ gain

By Edgar Thompson | Monday, July 21, 2008, 11:02 PM

Coach Tony Sparano commented on the Jason Taylor trade earlier tonight during his weekly interview on 560 WQAM.

Sparano said after the Redskins lost of a couple of defensive ends to season-ending injuries Sunday during Day 1 of training camp, Vinny Ceratto called Bill Parcells to make a deal for Taylor.

“That’s how these things happen,” Sparano said.

Sparano said he, Parcells and Jeff Ireland pow-wowed and decided “the Redskins were offering good value, and we felt with that compensation that we might be able to continue to rebuild this football team.”

But as everyone knows, it was only a matter of time before the Dolphins traded Taylor.

In fact, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said earlier today on 790 The Ticket that the Dolphins also had been involved in talks with the Saints and Giants that could have landed Taylor in The Big Apple with the defending Super Bowl champions.

Trying to ignite a deal to get TE Jeremy Shockey, the Saints planned to offer a second- and fifth-round pick to the Dolphins, who would send Taylor to the Giants, who in turn would send Shockey to the Saints.

Shockey ended up with the Saints Monday for a second- and a fifth-round pick.

The deal shows either Parcells’ ability to wheel and deal or the Redskins’ inability to do so under owner Dan Snyder.

Shockey will be 28 on Aug. 18 and has an injury history, but he’s a playmaking tight end with the potential for several good years ahead. Taylor will be 34 on Sept. 1 and plans to be play two more seasons.

It’d be interesting to know what JT thinks of nearly ending up in the No. 1 media market with the defending champs.

Mortensen spoke as if Taylor didn’t know and the Dolphins didn’t want him to know. The Giants wanted to speak with Taylor, which Mortensen believes would have been a bad idea.

“Once you let a player get involved he controls the situation,” Mortensen said. “That was one of things in the mix.”

Mortensen said the Giants also could have asked to re-do Taylor’s contract, which will pay him a total of $15.5 million the next two seasons. “That’s the kind of thing that blows up a deal,” Mortensen said.

Taylor could have stepped in for Michael Strahan in New York and been on a Super Bowl favorite.

The Redskins could easily miss out on the playoffs. Mortensen sees the Skins are a .500 team, give or take two wins.

He said the Dolphins could finished with anything between five and eight wins.

In the end, the move allows a lot of people to finally look ahead to the season. But Sparano said he and his staff already were preparing for life without Taylor, who had 37 percent of the team’s sacks last season (11 of 30).

“We haven’t had Jason all along so our preparation as a coaching staff was being prepared to play without Jason,” Sparano said.

This has created plenty of chances this off-season and beyond for a couple of young players with potential, linebacker Charlie Anderson and converted defensive end Quentin Moses.

Sparano called Anderson and Moses “two guys we were excited to get a look at during the spring and are excited to get a look at as we get on with this thing.”

Anderson, 26, signed as a free-agent in March, following four seasons in Houston. He was primarily a special teams player there and had only three sacks when he did line up at LB.

But the 6-4, 245-pound Anderson might have the size and athletic ability to develop into solid 3-4 linebacker.

“This whole thing as has been about competition and opportunity,” Sparano said. “And here comes Charlie Anderson and he has a great opportunity in front of him and he’s willing to go out and compete, whether Jason was here or not.”

Sparano called Moses “an up-and-coming player,” a little more than a year after he was a third-round pick by the Raiders.

Moses, who is 6-5, 260 and was an All-SEC player at Georgia, failed to make the team; signed with Arizona and was released; and ended up with the Dolphins, appearing in seven games and finishing with 1 1/2 sacks.

Neither Anderson nor Moses will make anyone forget Taylor. But both seem to be intriguing prospects worth watching as the Dolphins rebuild.

Sparano said the JT trade should help the process along.

The Taylor trade frees up as much as $9 million in cap space, leaving the Dolphins with more than $20 under the cap. League rules require each team to spend 86.4 percent of the salary cap, which is $116 million this season, meaning the Dolphins have to make up around $5 million.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-vonnie072208,0,3101183.story

Vonnie Holliday on Jason Taylor trade: 'I don't quite understand the move'

By Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

10:34 AM EDT, July 22, 2008

Dolphins defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday, a friend and teammate of Jason Taylor's since 2005, doesn't know how the team will replace the six-time Pro Bowl stalwart.

"It's definitely going to be weird not having 99 out there," Holliday said. "He's a great player, a great friend. I'm certainly sad to see him go and I don't quite understand the move.

"I don't see how it helps us in the immediate future. If we were getting something today that'd be different.

"It kind of puts a little bit of taste in your mouth like the Chris Chambers deal four games into last year. What exactly are we doing? I can't wait to get back to find out, and hopefully they've got a plan to pull some rabbit out of a hat or have something up their sleeve to prove otherwise."

Taylor was traded to the Redskins on Sunday for a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/22/jason_taylor_can_drive_55.html

Jason Taylor CAN drive 55

By Ben Volin | Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 10:56 AM

ASHBURN, Va. - Jason Taylor is done with the Miami Dolphins, and he’s done with the number 99.

Taylor took the Redskins’ practice field Tuesday morning wearing an unfamiliar No. 55 jersey. No. 99 belongs to fellow bookend Andre Carter, who is now in his third year with the team.

Taylor said he contemplated making Carter an offer for his number.

New teammate Clinton Portis once paid $38,000 for No. 26, which Portis still wears. On the other end of the spectrum, former Phillies reliever Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams snagged No. 28 from John Kruk for two cases of beer.

Carter even joked Monday that he and Taylor could have a “dance-off” to determine the number’s rightful owner.

Instead, Taylor opted for a new number to go with his new city and new team colors.

“We talked about it briefly last night, and I told him I’d get back to him. He was open to it,” Taylor said. “I thought about it last night. I talked to my wife and decided that we’ll let 99 stay in Miami and start a new chapter up here.”

But why 55?

“I like double digits, and 88 is a receiver, and 77 is ugly, and 66 is a lineman, so 55 worked,” Taylor said.

Any other reasons?

“I wore 33 in college and 55 at the Senior Bowl, and won the MVP there,” Taylor said. “We’re all superstitious, you know. Thought it might bring us some good luck.”

As in Miami, Taylor will play the hybrid defensive end-linebacker position with the Redskins. The 55 is a linebacker’s number, and is symbolic of his transition to the hybrid “Jack” position.

But Taylor admitted it was strange to look down at his jersey and see “55.” It wasn’t an accident that he spent most of the morning practice with his jersey pulled up over his stomach.

“I wore it pushed up in the front, so I didn’t have to look at it,” he said. “This is all so different for me.”

Coincidentally, Zach Thomas will be wearing 55 with the Cowboys, too.

“I guess we both left our old numbers in Miami,” Taylor said.

And yes, you can already buy a Taylor Redskins jersey.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/22/0722dolphins.html

First day, but no jitters in D.C. for Taylor

By BEN VOLIN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

ASHBURN, Va. — Jason Taylor wore a different uniform today with a different number and worked alongside different teammates in his first practice as a member of the Washington Redskins.

But Taylor felt right at home when the morning practice ended early because of a thunderstorm.

"That's nothing new to me," Taylor said afterwards, without mentioning to the D.C. media that the Dolphins built a practice bubble three years ago for this very reason. "It was nice to see that nothing has changed up here."

Taylor, traded to Washington on Sunday for two draft picks, stepped on a football field at 8:30 a.m. today for the first time since the Dolphins' Dec. 30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The thunderstorm was about the only thing that was familiar.

"It was different - very different," he said. "I feel like a little kid in some ways, and I feel so lost in other ways, so it will take a while to get used to it."

He wore a burgundy jersey - not orange and aqua - and donned No. 55. Fellow defensive end Andre Carter already owns No. 99, Taylor's old number.

"I talked to my wife and decided that we'll let 99 stay in Miami and start a new chapter up here," Taylor said.

Though Taylor will often line up as the left defensive end in the traditional 4-3 scheme, head coach Jim Zorn said this morning that Taylor will continue to play the hybrid defensive end-linebacker position.

"I've done it for the last three years, and I was going to be that in Miami this year, so I can do it," Taylor said.

He often played on the right side in Miami, but Carter occupies that spot in Washington.

Taylor is well behind his new teammates, who began training camp Saturday and also went through off-season programs, so Taylor only participated in one-on-one drills today.

He practiced with the defensive linemen, and was treated no differently than his teammates. When Taylor didn't perform a ladder drill perfectly, defensive line coach John Palermo sent him to the back of the line to do it again.

During team drills, Zorn said, Taylor stood next to defensive coordinator Greg Blache to get a feel for the defensive calls.

"I've got to go through that initial soreness in training camp and all that so we'll ease into it," Taylor said. "But I'm getting work done all the while, not just standing around at the country club."

In the locker room, he sat down next to the only familiar face - offensive guard Todd Wade, Taylor's teammate in Miami from 2000 through '03.

Taylor tried to blend in with his teammates, but it was a near-impossible task. Hordes of reporters and cameras followed his every move. The 2,000 fans in attendance cheered loudly the moment he set foot on the practice field.

While his teammates all wore black cleats, Taylor still had on his white-and-orange Dolphins cleats.

"They couldn't make the Redskins shoes in a day," he said.

Taylor, a 12-year veteran, said he feels like a rookie again. In addition to learning a new defensive scheme, he has to learn basic things, like the names of his new teammates, and where the locker room is.

"But all the while, like I said yesterday, I'm not buying donuts or paying anybody's tab," Taylor joked. "I'm still one of the old guys around here."

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2008/07/one-final-post.html

One final post on the Jason Taylor trade

I am still scratching my head and it doesn't even itch. Seriously. Because this really doesn't make sense to me.

Sometime between late January and mid February of this year, Jason Taylor's agent called the Dolphins and informed them Taylor only intended to play one more season and it made sense for him to play that final year someplace else. The Dolphins were, after all, about to rebuild and Taylor, at 33 years old, didn't want to be part of that rebuilding because he wanted one final shot at winning a title.

Gary Wichard, the agent, made the logical points to Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and even team president Bryan Wiedmeier. It was a compelling argument because, after all, Taylor gave his all for 11 seasons and wanted the Dolphins to reward that service by letting him get a chance at a title in his final go-'round.

Fast forward to April when Wichard made the point to the Dolphins again. Then in June when Taylor got in front of the media and said, "I told the Dolphins my intentions from Day One. My intentions are to play one more year."

Then fast forward again to this week when Taylor is traded to the Washington Redskins and, all of a sudden, that stuff about playing one more year which he and his agent have been saying for seven months is simply swept under the rug. "I know I made a statement in June that I would play one more year in '08," Taylor said, "but I have talked to [Redskins owner] Dan Snyder and [executive vice president] Vinny [Cerrato] and coach and I'm going to play out my contract and I will be here for more than one year, God willing, unless something bad happens. I'm here to play ball as long as I can."

Are you feakin' kidding me?

So one conversation with Snyder and the Redskins and suddenly the story he has told the Dolphins from "Day One," is out the window? One day in Washington is enough to convince Taylor to play the two years remaining on his contract and maybe more but 11 seasons in Miami wasn't worth that kind of commitment?

Here is my point: The only reason the Dolphins had to seriously, seriously want to trade Jason Taylor is because they are rebuilding and a Taylor who intends to play one more season isn't as valuable as a draft pick because by the time the team is good again, Taylor would be out of the league.

But if Taylor tells the Dolphins, he's playing until the end of this contract and, in fact, says he's playing "as long as I can," that definitely changes EVERYTHING. Suddenly the team should be thinking it has a pretty good player, one who is rarely injured, for 2009 when the team is hoping to be very competitive and perhaps beyond -- maybe to 2010 when thoughts of playoffs might be on everyone's mind again.

Suddenly the entire picture is different.

Fantasy, you say? Well, are you aware that Taylor would be 37 years old in 2010? In 2004 when Michael Strahan (who Taylor respects) was 33 years old as Taylor is now, his team was 6-10 and finished last in the NFC East? Three years later Strahan, at 37, was a key contributor on a Super Bowl champion. Things change in the NFL. They change quickly.

And the irony here is that the posturing about getting one final chance to win it all is bunk now because the Redskins, with all due respect to those guys that wear pig noses and dresses on Sundays, don't look like much of a legit title contender.

Yes, they made the playoffs last year, but they could just as easily take a step back this year because they don't have Joe Gibbs anymore, they still have an unproven QB, their defensive coordinator isn't as good, they won't have the momentous emotional lift that brought them together last year when Sean Taylor was tragically cut down, and they still play in the world's toughest football division.

Maybe JT hasn't noticed but the Cowboys are loaded. Maybe he hasn't noticed but the Giants won the Super Bowl. Maybe he hasn't noticed but the Eagles, which finished last in the division with an 8-8 record last year, are healthy and added several high-priced free agents. They also have a better coaching staff than Washington now.

So the Redskins have absolutely zero guarantee of making any playoffs. Yet that was enough to make him about-face on the one-and-done statement?

I wouldn't be surprised if the Redskins are watching the playoffs on TV this year, just as the Dolphins probably will be. I wouldn't be surprised that by 2010 the Dolphins have passed the Redskins on talent.

And, given his recent history, I wouldn't be surprised if sometime in the next 12-13 months, Taylor changes course on this issue. Again.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/dolphins/content/sports/epaper/2008/07/22/0722dolphins.html

Jason Taylor gets high approval ratings

By BEN VOLIN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

ASHBURN, Va. — Many of the 2,000 fans at Redskins Park shouted Jason Taylor's name as soon as their newest defensive end stepped onto the practice field Tuesday morning.

A local sports-talk radio host, Jason Bishop, had no qualms about declaring on his morning show that Taylor is a "damn good-looking guy."

And a Washington Post columnist said Taylor is his "new man-crush."

From Capitol Hill to Virginia Beach, the former Miami Dolphins star has supplanted Obama vs. McCain as the topic of the day.

"It's a fan base almost like college football. The people really are that crazy about their team," said offensive tackle Todd Wade, who played with Taylor in Miami from 2000 through '03. "Jason was such a big guy in South Florida, but it's going to be multiplied up here. He has no idea."

Taylor, 33, said he wanted to play for a Super Bowl contender after 11 title-less seasons in Miami. Taylor, who was traded Sunday for two draft picks, said he was happy to go to Washington. He believes the 'Skins are, at minimum, a solid playoff team.

Washington has reached the post-season in two of the past three seasons. But Taylor, a six-time Pro Bowler who is two seasons removed from being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, won't automatically transform the Redskins from a wild-card team to a Super Bowl contender.

The Redskins went 9-7 last year and were blown out in the first round of the playoffs against Seattle. And Washington plays in the NFC East, which might be the toughest division in the NFL with the Super Bowl champion Giants, the 13-3 Dallas Cowboys and an 8-8 Philadelphia Eagles team that finished last year on a three-game winning streak.

On top of all that, quarterback Jason Campbell has to bounce back from a knee injury while learning the West Coast offense installed by new coach Jim Zorn.

"Jason Taylor is an upgrade, but it's going to depend on how well Jason Campbell adjusts to a new offense," said Joe Theismann, a former Redskins quarterback who still attends training camp practices almost every day. "The quarterback position is going to be the determining factor as to where the Redskins wind up finishing."

Still, Taylor is optimistic that the team can at least return to the playoffs, something he hasn't experienced since January 2002.

"This team can contend for the division," Taylor said. "It's a tough division, but this is great to be in this position, where you know that every week is crucial."

Taylor's arrival should jump-start a stagnant pass rush. Among 2007 playoff teams, only Indianapolis had fewer sacks than Washington's 33. Only Seattle allowed more passing yards than Washington's 214 per game.

Taylor had 11 of Miami's 30 sacks last season, and has the most sacks in the NFL this decade (1001/2). Some observers believe the trade will reinvigorate Taylor, who had four games last season with fewer than two tackles.

"Historically, when you make a trade like this, the player usually performs better than he had the previous season," said Gil Brandt, the longtime personnel executive with Tom Landry's Cowboys who now writes for NFL.com. "Especially if they were coming from a team that didn't have a good record."

When Taylor went through his first practice with Washington on Tuesday, he wore his new No. 55 jersey - defensive end Andre Carter wear's Taylor's old No. 99 - and quickly impressed coaches watching one-on-one drills. He lined up at left end and exhibited the quickness that made him a superstar.

"We tried to pinch him today, and he went inside on us in the blink of an eye," offensive line coach Joe Bugel said. "He's a slippery hombre."

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache said he hopes Taylor's presence will open up the field for Carter (10.5 sacks) and defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin.

And the Redskins hope that their offensive line will improve after facing Taylor in practice every week, especially right tackle Jon Jansen.

"I told him this morning, 'I'm glad you're here,' " Bugel said.

"We spent enough time preparing for you.' "

http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_seasonticket/2008/07/fins-taylor-wea.html

Fins: Taylor wearing No. 55

Back in town.

Did I miss anything?

(I asked the same thing the last time I was out-of-pocket for a few days. That time, Nick Saban quit. If I leave again, the Dolphins will trade for Brett Favre.)

I'm still confused about one aspect of this story: Jason Taylor now verbally committing to play at least two more seasons. Again, his side consistently said for months that he would only play one more season, and then Taylor said that publicly, even when it didn't seem to benefit him to do so. Taylor's agent, Gary Wichard, has also made it clear that Taylor will be spending his offseasons working on Hollywood stuff, so Vinny Cerrato must be comfortable with that. But, after all the back-and-forth, I'll believe that Taylor plays in 2009 when he actually takes the field.   

Anyway, Taylor has decided to wear No. 55 in Washington D.C., at least for now.

Can anyone make the case that Joey Porter, wearing the same number in Miami, will finish with more sacks?

There may be a better chance that Porter has more tackles than the other guy wearing No. 55 (Zach Thomas in Dallas), only because Thomas could be one more concussion away from a lengthy absence.

Is anyone out there planning to buy any of those three jerseys -- Porter as a Dolphin, Thomas as a Cowboy, Taylor as a Redskin?

> Posted by Ethan J. Skolnick at 1:58:41 PM

http://www.miamiherald.com/611/story/614240.html

Marino only Dolphin better than Taylor

BY GREG COTE
Miami Herald

The two images of Jason Taylor that fill the mind most readily are unfortunate ones in the overall. They are not what we should be seeing as we reckon his place in the history of the franchise.

One snapshot is of a man surrounded by loss, bowed head covered by a towel or buried in his huge hands in a somber locker room after the latest Dolphins defeat. The image would link the misery of the past six seasons in a row out of the playoffs with some fundamental lacking on Taylor's part, when in fact no player was less to blame.

Another snapshot, more recent and with a merrier soundtrack, would find Taylor not in uniform but in ruffled sleeves, in frivolous pirouette, hip-wiggling to the cha-cha or mambo on Dancing With The Stars, his controversial, Bill Parcells-irritating diversion of the past offseason. The image would invite a question mark on Taylor's commitment to football, when in fact nothing in his preparation or performance across 11 Miami years indicated anything but admirable dedication.

To frame either snapshot as the lasting picture of the Dolphins' No. 99 would be unfair because there is something far more accurate than loser or dancer to describe Taylor as he leaves us.

The single greatest defensive player in 42 years of Dolphins football is the description I would choose.

And it isn't even close.

Broadening the frame to include all players, I would depose that only Dan Marino was better or more accomplished at what he did.

One man's view of this franchise's 10 greatest players:

1. Marino; 2. Taylor; 3. Larry Little; 4. Larry Csonka; 5. Zach Thomas; 6. Mark Clayton; 7. Bob Griese; 8. Dick Anderson; 9. Nick Buoniconti; 10. Bob Kuechenberg.

The case that I omitted someone would be easier to sell me on than the argument I am rating Taylor too high. It might be too soon for some fans to see it, though. The divorce might be too raw, especially for that sizable faction of Dolfans who see Taylor in villain's clothes as he exits. As selfish for wanting out.

True enough the way Taylor left the Dolphins was neither neat nor sweet, but he's in good company. The franchise's twin titans, Don Shula and Marino, didn't exactly leave on their own terms and smiling, either. Csonka was called a traitor once, too, for jumping leagues.

Pain, anger, regret -- all of those things will fade, and let us more clearly see what we have lost in Taylor: the best we ever had at what he does. I believe he will make the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, especially if his career continues productively in Washington beyond just one more season.

Taylor would be the only Dolphins defender other than Buoniconti to reach the Canton, Ohio, shrine, and Nick, history books remind us, was an established, seven-year Boston Patriots star before ever coming to Miami.

Taylor's credentials for Canton would be decent as is, even if the past weekend's news was his retirement rather than his much-anticipated trade.

The Giants' Michael Strahan is the only defensive end contemporary of Taylor's who has had, arguably, a greater career, although it is fair to note that Taylor's overall sacks-per-season average of 10.6 is better than Strahan's 10.1. It also is notable that Taylor's 100.5 sacks since 2000 make him the NFL's decade leader, by far.

That, coupled with his 2006 Defensive Player of the Year Award, makes a pretty strong argument that Taylor was dominant in his era -- one of the bedrock prerequisites for the Hall of Fame.

Oh, did I mention that Taylor has scored more defensive touchdowns than any player in history?

Competing in the Miami market, never on a Super Bowl stage and the six-year playoff drought have left Taylor far less a national star than his career performance (augmented by a model's looks and a star's personality) suggest he should be.

Put it this way. If Taylor is the same person with the exact same career, but with the New England Patriots -- same sack totals, same stats, but plus-three on the Super Bowl rings -- he is today considered to be the NFL's biggest defensive star, judged a first-ballot lock for the Hall, and probably being mentioned in Lawrence Taylor territory as one of the all-time defensive greats.

He is that player, diminished by the losses that surrounded him and by the rings that are not there, but never, ever diminished by his own performance.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/miamidolphins/entries/2008/07/23/final_thoughts_on_the_jt_trade.html

Final thoughts on the JT trade

By Ben Volin | Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 11:51 AM

Stuck in D.C. for a few more hours, so you get one more blog post on the Jason Taylor trade. I promise, this is the last time you will see his name for a long time (at LEAST 24 hours) … .

You already read about JT switching to No. 55, how he called his split from Miami “amicable” and how the D.C. area is collectively drooling over its newest star.

Yesterday, I briefly caught up with JT as he walked off the Redskins’ practice field to talk about his expectations with the Skins and being a more recognizable figure in D.C. than Barack Obama and John McCain. Then I asked if he had spoken to anyone with the Dolphins organization, especially Bill Parcells, et al.

“I texted Vonnie Holliday today, but haven’t gotten a chance to talk to him yet,” Taylor said.

Are you sick of talking about your Dolphins teammates and former coaches, and trying to put that in the past?

“It’s in the past, obviously, but it will always be a part of me. I still have a vested interest in seeing how they do, and I still have a lot of friends and people I love there still. A piece of my heart is still in Miami. My wife and kids are still there, we’re not detached.”

How are your new teammates treating you?

“They’ve all been great. I got a few dance jokes already. Rock (Cartwright) asked me to dance with him already, teach him how to dance. So there’s some of that going on. If they’re messing with you it means they like you.”


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Here’s what a couple of outsiders have to say about the trade:

Gil Brandt, the longtime personnel executive with Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, effused high praise on Bill Parcells for being patient and obtaining two valuable draft picks.

“This is where perseverance pays off,” he said. “If anybody would’ve told me that Bill was gonna get a second for Jason Taylor I would’ve said no way. And he ended up getting a second and a sixth. Sometimes with patience, keep your mouth shut, good things happen.”

Brandt continued (UNDERSTATEMENT ALERT): “Whether Jason Taylor plays for Miami or not, I just don’t think that they’re a playoff team. I think they’re an ascending team that will do much better, but I don’t think they’re a playoff team.”

On the Redskins end, Brandt expects Taylor to have a big year. He said the trade reminded him of when the Cowboys traded for Mike Ditka in 1969, and then for Lance Alworth in 1971. Both caught a touchdown in their Super Bowl VI win over Miami.

“Historically, when you make a trade like this, the player usually performs better than he had the previous season, especially if they were coming from a team that didn’t have a particularly good record,” Brandt said. “When we were close to a Super Bowl and we traded for Mike Ditka and Lance Alworth, it always seemed that those guys played a little bit better than they played at their previous place.

And Joe Theismann, the former Redskins quarterback who still attends training camp practices almost every day, said the trade was a double-whammy for Washington. Not only do the Skins get Taylor (as a replacement for the injured Phillip Daniels), but they also prevent Dallas, Philly or the Giants from picking him up.

(Keep in mind, of course, that Theismann bleeds burgundy and gold).

“Philly lost Jevan Kearse, they need a defensive end. Dallas would probably want a bookend opposite DeMarcus Ware. Obviously, you’d love to have someone opposite Osi Umenyiora. When you looked at the Redskins, a healthy Phillip Daniels probably made them the least likely team to need a Jason Taylor.”

But the trade “changes things in the NFC. By him not going to any of those three shifts power in the division.”


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And finally, this isn’t a Dolphins story, but I wanted to pass along a funny anecdote from Theismann.

He was talking to me about new head coach Jim Zorn, and his dedication to teaching quarterback Jason Campbell the West Coast offense.

“Funny story: Jason got married not too long ago. Dan Snyder, Vinny Cerrato and Jim Zorn went to the wedding,” Theismann said. “Through most of the reception, Jim had Jason cornered, talking about football at his own wedding. But that’s the thing that Jim Zorn, he’s the ultimate teacher.”

Nice. I bet Mrs. Jason Campbell appreciated that.

big difference, skins aren't "very close to the super bowl"... in fact you can make a good argument that they are the worst team in their own division.

interestingly enough, miami played the nfc east last year, and here is what jt did against the those teams:

Date            Opp     Tk     Ast   Sck    Stf     FF      FR     PD    Int     Yds     TD
Sep. 16     DAL         2       1      0        0      0         0     0      0        0        0
Oct. 28     NYG         0       0      0        0      0        1      0      0        0        0
Nov. 18     PHI         1        0      0       1       0        0      0      0        0        0

someone better tell cote about this guy named dwight stephenson...  ::)

  As well as some guy named Langer.