Taylor wants to play in 2008 but 2009 another story

[Defense54]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flspdoltaylor24sbapr24,0,4078579.story

A day after signing Michigan's Jake Long, the Dolphins have turned their attention to acquiring another first-round pick, according to two NFL executives. And it appears they are shopping star defensive end Jason Taylor to do it.

The goal is to corral another player at the top of their draft board, one the organization fears might not be around when they select again at No. 32, which is the first pick of the second round.

One of those executives said the Dolphins have talked with teams about trades involving the six-time Pro Bowl selection, but might be asking for too much in return for a 33-year-old expected to earn nearly $17 million in the final two years of his contract.

Although the Chiefs received Minnesota's first-round pick, No. 17 overall, and both of the Vikings' third-round selections in exchange for defensive end Jared Allen, the source said Taylor's age and contract doesn't merit anything close to that.
 
At best, Taylor is believed to be worth a second-round pick and maybe future considerations. The source said there's also concern he might balk at being traded to any team he deems isn't a championship contender, and Taylor could ask for a new contract or threaten to retire.

With Long signed and sealed as the draft's No. 1

Finding a contender willing to blow a 1st rounder is a little to far fetched IMO.

But I guess like selling a car you gotta start high and negotiate.

[Denver_Bronco]

Keep smoking crack. Blowing a first or a second rounder for a one, possibly two year rental is not worth it.

Try a 4th rounder if you're lucky.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Keep smoking crack. Blowing a first or a second rounder for a one, possibly two year rental is not worth it.

Try a 4th rounder if you're lucky.

Denver denver denver, do not drag us into your addictions. 

[bsfins]

I thought I'll hijack a thread about Jason taylor.....
I kind of see it as,Parcells was serious when he said he's not going to trade Jason Taylor...There were trade rumors out there,and rumblings that Jason said he wanted to be traded.....Now reports that we're looking for a first round pick for jason....I Feel it's Parcells saying,I want you on this team,but I'll try to see if I can get something for you in a trade....My 2 cents on the Jason Taylor situation....

Interesting tidbit in Peter Kings article today....
4. I think if you want to pry Jason Taylor from the Dolphins, you should place a call and offer a low first-round draft choice. Bill Parcells will not only listen, he'll make the deal. To me, the perfect team to make this call is San Diego, sitting at 27 with a chance to get the perfect bookend to Shawne Merriman to torment the passer. That could be the difference-maker in finally beating the Patriots in January

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/04/24/Fivethings/index.html

[YoFuggedaboutit]

To me, the perfect team to make this call is San Diego, sitting at 27 with a chance to get the perfect bookend to Shawne Merriman to torment the passer. That could be the difference-maker in finally beating the Patriots in January

Not knocking you, Lil B, because some one else wrote this article.  If I recall correctly, didn't JT come out publicly at the end of 2006 and say that Merriman should not be eligible for any postseason awards because he got caught with steroids?

If this trade happens, there'll be some major animosity between those two in the locker room.

[bsfins]

^^ I think it wouldn't matter,the Chargers are alot closer to winning a ring than the Dolphins,I think Jason Taylor would put a side his personal differences (ala Ricky Williams) if it meant getting a ring...The clock is ticking on Jason's career...and how many playoff games has he won as a Dolphin? I feel it could hurt his chances at the HOF...

[DolFan619]

http://dolphinsindepth.blogspot.com/

The Jason Taylor drama may not end Saturday

The Dolphins will draft Jake Long with their first overall pick and, absent intrigue about the first pick, the next most interesting thing to me is not who goes No. 2, but whether Jason Taylor is traded.

As with most things connected to Taylor the past year or so, there is much drama here. Much.

The same guy who led a player revolt against Cam Cameron, the same guy who is on weekly national TV and wants a Hollywood career, has requested through his agent to be traded. That is the primary reason Miami general manager Jeff Irleand has been calling teams during the past week, shopping Taylor.

The most interested teams -- and thus most likely to make a trade for Taylor is one happens at all -- are Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Dallas, Washington and Denver.

But there are problems: The Dolphins want a first-round pick for Taylor because they rightly argue that consistent right defensive ends -- the guys who go up against premier left tackles -- are in short supply. They argue Taylor is one of only 15 players in the league that had double-digit sacks last year. They argue he has had no drop in production despite his advancing age.

And so they want a first round draft pick. Firm.

But as of this writing, no one is willing to make that deal, particularly considering Taylor is 33 years old and his desire to enter show business is not a secret around league circles. Remember that I reported Tuesday the Dolphins were firmly saying they are not trading Taylor? Don't take that necessarily as, "He's not on the market." He obviously is. Take it as, "We know what we want, we know what is being offered. It ain't happening."

It also isn't helping Miami's cause that Oakland is apparently shopping defensive end Derrick Burgess, who had eight sacks last season. Burgess is not as good as Taylor. But the Raiders aren't expecting a first round pick, either.

So we shall see what happens Saturday. But to assume this will be over and done with Saturday is to forget my theory about the Dolphins: They are a circus.

Remember, the Dolphins don't lose if they don't trade Taylor. They can keep him for now and still can trade him before the October trade deadline for a 2009 first round pick. In fact, the market for a 2009 pick might be better than it is for a 2008 pick.

Also, if the Dolphins don't trade Taylor, they still win because they keep what is by all accounts a good player. And isn't stockpiling good players a goal in the NFL?

I would, nonetheless, tell you there is a definite drawback to keeping Taylor.

He is increasingly something of a prima donna, wanting to be treated just right to feel just right about doing what is just right. He didn't like Nick Saban initially. He didn't like it when Cam Cameron didn't defer to him. And last week when he visited the team while on a break from his dancing gig, he didn't like it when coach Tony Sparano and others didn't make him feel warm and fuzzy about his offseason schedule.

What did Taylor want Sparano to do? Applaud that he has blown off the work other players are doing? When someone told me about this stuff -- someone who was making a case on Taylor's behalf, by the way -- I just couldn't bring myself to telling [him or her] how stupid this sounded.

The person wanted empathy for Taylor. But I'm having trouble with it because, the bottom line is, the Dolphins have to want their players in the conditioning program rather than on a television program. I could understand the cool response. I could understand that they didn't give him a standing O.

So Taylor's feelings are apparently hurt. Which means he might have agent Gary Wichard turn up the public heat on Miami if a trade isn't made this weekend. It's not what Wichard, a classy agent, wants to do.

But it wouldn't surprise me one bit if we've not heard the last of this drama.

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flsphyde26sbapr26,0,1525033.column

Everyone better off with Taylor trade

Dave Hyde
Sports Columnist

April 26, 2008

Hopefully, it ends today, for all concerned, this increasingly ugly faceoff between Bill Parcells and Jason Taylor. One plots a good beginning, the other a happy ending. One is from Mars, the other from Hollywood.

When Taylor two-stepped by Dolphins headquarters this month, he was welcomed with hugs by his temporary teammates and ice by Parcells, according to sources in the building.

Tony Sparano, the new coach, did approach Taylor. But no hug was coming. Sparano said that while Taylor was dancing with his stars in Hollywood, the Dolphins players were sweating through offseason workouts.

You can understand Sparano. He inherited a 1-15 team. These are his first workouts as a rookie coach. It doesn't matter if it's April. This is where he sets the template of his culture. And the star player — really, the only player left on the marquee — is out fox trotting?

That's part of why this Parcells-Taylor divorce needs to happen today before it erupts into full-scale ugliness. The other part is Taylor's side. You can understand his mind-set, too. He has supplied 11 proud years to a Dolphins era that has oscillated between mediocrity and smelly.

No recent Dolphin has played harder or better or handled himself in the community more admirably. One bad season, he's NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The next awful one, he's the NFL Man of the Year.

So, from Taylor's perspective, why shouldn't he use a lifetime achievement pass and accept a Hollywood spotlight? Does anyone watching the last decade think he won't play hard come September?

Of course, last training camp, Taylor didn't report in full shape, as even he admitted. He was a non-factor at the season's start, which set the tone for the stink to come. Points to Parcells.

But how can Taylor be saddled with another rebuilding project as he inches toward retirement? Points to Taylor.

And round and round it goes. Bottom-line: Parcells has to trade Taylor out of town. Today. You can debate almost everything else this draft.

You can make a case the Dolphins need any position but running back or offensive tackle. A quarterback? A cornerback? A tight end in an offense that uses the tight end? Why not?

The pressing spots are linebacker, wide receiver and guard, though. They need starters at each just to field a team. At guard, there are candidates on the remaining roster or the remainders pile. Drew Mormino is around from last draft. L.J. Shelton, who has played guard, hasn't signed anywhere as a free-agent tackle.

You would hope a guard could be found in this heap considering the hefty investments across the line — two No. 1 picks, a second-round pick and the richest free-agent signing this winter.

Plus, there are only three starting linebackers in what hopes to be a four-linebacker defense. And the only starting-caliber receivers are free agent Ernest Wilford and Ted Ginn Jr. Maybe Greg Camarillo, too, considering he has as many touchdown catches as Ginn.

Taylor should fit into the Parcells' plans today. Parcells said weeks ago that Taylor wouldn't be traded, but he was only too-loudly playing a card he felt necessary. Even as he was saying this, one team was feeling the Dolphins out with a trade offer, a source said.

They weren't rebuffed a bit. They didn't get a positive answer. But the Dolphins listened, which is always the first step in these matters.

So Taylor wants to go, Parcells wants him to go and the only question is where he goes. And for what. Does he merit, approaching 34, a low first-round or high second-round pick? To slide the Dolphins' second-round pick high into the first round?

The treasure chest Minnesota gave for Kansas City's Jared Allen — a first-round pick, two third-round picks and $31 million guaranteed — shows the premium put on premium pass rushers. It also got the most age-desirous one off the market, clearing the way for teams to call about Taylor.

The Dolphins keeping Taylor today serves no one well. Not Parcells, who will have forgone a chance to get younger. Not Sparano, who will have to deal with a disgruntled Taylor as he feels his way as a first-year coach.

Certainly not Taylor.

Not you or me, either. Do you want to watch what will come next? Do I want to write of the back-biting or lip-biting that would come? OK, maybe on a slow sports day. But the alternative is smarter.

Parcells wants to start his program the right way. Taylor wants to end his career the right way. Common sense says they can't breathe the same locker-room air for long. Hopefully, they won't after today.