Official - Taylor to Jets

[Dave Gray]

It's not that Taylor went to another team.  It's that he went to the Jets.  That isn't an accident.  There are 30 other teams out there and he chose our bitter arch rivals -- the worst of all others.

So, along with that comes the criticism from fans that don't want him to have a legacy.  I don't necessarily agree with it, but I certainly understand it.

It's a little hard to determine until we have all of the facts, too.

In short, the Dolphins (team or fans) don't OWE Taylor anything.  ...not an ovation at home, not a Ring of Honor spot, ...nothing.  Those are things that we choose to award based on people's character after they've left us.  It's not very "honorable" to go to the Jets and directly harm those that cheered for you for a decade.  ...but that's just me.

[Phishfan]

^^^Here is where your representation fo the story is completely wrong. The Jets were the only team out of those 32 that offered Jason Taylor a contract. He didn't choose them out of 32 teams, his only other option was to wait or retire (which could have been the same result if he had waited).

[dolfan13]

^^^ the dolphins offered jt a contract extension in november and he turned it down.

[JVides]

You're right, B.  I like Jason Taylor.  A lot.  Because he's, like, reeally good.  And I am angry that my team keeps treating its best players like garbage when they get older.  I am still pissed about how Shula went out, and Marino, and Zach Thomas, and now JT.  I see a pattern of disrespect towards my favorite players (and coach).  So right now, at this moment, yeah, the Dolphins can suck it.  I'll get over it, and will always root for them but, at this time, I am angry that they chose to piss off and chase out a franchise icon for a paltry (by NFL standards) $2.5 Million.  Especially in an uncapped year.

Just as people here are so fast to switch sides on Jason Taylor for leaving Miami, I am equally fast to point out that your placing all the blame on him is ridiculous, given how the franchise has treated him in the last three years.  Read the links I provided.  It's not just JT they mistreated.  Not letting Zach Thomas have a news conference to say goodbye to fans?  Are you kidding?  As much as I like what the current regime is doing in building this team, I hate how they treat older cornerstone players.  So let's see:  my team doesn't respect the players that risk life & limb for their honor, doesn't respect a player that has never been anything of a distraction to them, doesn't respect me as a fan enough to tell me flat out: "nope, we want to go younger at the position" rather than jerking said player and me around.  Yeah, it's hard to side with the team right now.  Real, REAL hard.  By the way, all this treating past-their-prime star players like crap stuff would be fine and well if, you know, they actually won or SNIFFED the Super Bowl, as you implied.  But really, we've had 10 years of mostly garbage since Marino retired, so the end does not justify the means, especially when viewed in contrast to the Patriots (you know, actual champs) who do RIGHT by their veteran players, bringing them back year after year, sometimes in diminished roles but always as contributors, because they're smart enough to know that these players are still assets.

To recap:  the Dolphins organization of the past 10 years has treated cornerstone players like crap AND backed that up with a whole bunch of shit football and losing.  Aye, they make me cry, indeed.

Dolfan, I have already pointed out what a joke of a contract offer that November one was.  I provided links to where Dolphins brass confirmed that the offer was in the form of a post-it note, and that they requested his agent not be involved.  That's not how it's done in the NFL.  Taylor wanted to go through the correct process, and you think he's disloyal for it.  Lame.

[bsfins]

Jvides, I repect that...I think they need to look out for the team,not formly great players....We don't see what they see, we don't see the coaches tape.We don't know what their plan is....I understand the frustration....I think You can blame them for Taylor, and Thomas...But Shula, Marino Different Owner,Different Regime....

Modified to add, I think resigning him last year was a bad move,(it jerks him,and fans around) and just adds to the problem,IMO

[JVides]

^^^OK, B, let's do this.  At what point would Taylor have been a good fit for the Dolphins in 2010?  Let's set the standard here and now.  At what point will Taylor exceed the "damn, he should have been on our team for $2.5 M" threshhold?  5 sacks?  7?  10? 

I'll wager he hits the over.  Call me nuts, I think he still has it.

[Spider-Dan]

^^^ the dolphins offered jt a contract extension in november and he turned it down.

That's not really accurate.  They tried to get him to cut out his agent (as JT correctly pointed out, they themselves have agents) and he declined.  He had his agent contact them about the deal and they decided to take their ball and go home.

[dolfan13]

does jt work for his agent, or does jt decide what deals he wants to chase?

there was a deal offered, and for whatever reason, jt put it on the back burner. he says he wanted to play for the dolphins, but his actions don't add up.

[bsfins]

^^^OK, B, let's do this.  At what point would Taylor have been a good fit for the Dolphins in 2010?  Let's set the standard here and now.  At what point will Taylor exceed the "damn, he should have been on our team for $2.5 M" threshhold?  5 sacks?  7?  10? 

I'll wager he hits the over.  Call me nuts, I think he still has it.

I'm sorry to say...None,I honestly think he isn't a good fit..Whatever he gets with the 2010 Jets,Doesn't mean He'd get that number with the 2010 Dolphins.They have better players on their roster (prior to the Taylor signing).They notoriously Blitzed,alot last year,and I don't forsee that changing.They are playing the One player away mentality....(Trading for Cromartie, Signing Tomlinsons,Trading This years draft for players last year, Braylon Edwards Trade)

We were 7-9,our defense was slow,and ranked 22nd in the league (yeah yeah 3rd in the league in sacks..)....

I feel that question is apples,and oranges...Down and dirty, the Wes Welker Argument....Would Wes Welker be That Wes Welker in Miami....

[Brian Fein]

I don't understand why so many of you have loyalty to one player?  Were you guys all Redskins fans in 2008?  Why suddenly is this a huge shock?

If it is true that JT was offered a sans-agent contract extension, and chose he'd rather have his agent involved, then its because he wasn't happy with the offer.  Thus, not so eager to return to the team.  I don't understand why the agent is so important.  My guess is that they wanted to not have to give the scumbag agent any money, so that JT could get more.  Heaven forbid.

He's a Jet now.  He gets my boos.  I am certain I am not alone. 

I have no loyalty to players, other than guys like Marino and Zach.  Taylor WAS on this list, but guess what?  He's the enemy now.  Buh bye.

Part of me equates this move to the way Brett Favre SO BADLY wanted to play for the Vikings that he "wasted" a year with the Jets to get there.  Wonder why......

[Philly Fin Fan]

Here's how I see it- Parcells (and crew) get paid to make decisions. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they aren't. Their goal is to build this team as a long term winner. If they didn't feel JT fit their plan, its what they are getting paid to decide.

Is it a right decision? Who knows. Is it a wrong decision? Who knows.

JT signed with the Jets for $2.5 million, but for all we know, maybe he wanted $9 million to play in Miami. In other words, maybe he "settled" for that $2.5 because (as others have pointed out), there were no other offers on the table.

If there's one thing I've learned in situations like this, its that neither side tells the whole story.

I don't think it has anything to do with being "from a prior regime". It has to do with the value they see in a player. They signed Vernon Carey to a contract extension. Same with Yeremiah Bell. Same with Channing Crowder. They kept the ol' pothead around. They were from prior regimes.

Like I've said, he's a Jet now. See ya.

[Brian Fein]

Taylor sat on the Jets offer for 3-4 weeks.  You think if he was happy with the offer, he would have waited?  you don't think that, during those weeks, his agent was burning up the phones to every other GM in the NFL?

If 30 other teams didn't want him, why should the Dolphins be any different?  Because he had 21 sacks in 2005?  Meh, no thanks.

[Spider-Dan]

does jt work for his agent, or does jt decide what deals he wants to chase?

He has an agent to handle his contracts, just like Parcells, Ireland, and Sparano do.  If using an agent is such a slap in the face, why haven't they released their own?

there was a deal offered, and for whatever reason, jt put it on the back burner. he says he wanted to play for the dolphins, but his actions don't add up.

He didn't put it on the back burner; he referred them to his agent to handle contracts, because that's what his agent is for.

I suppose next you will argue that if he wasn't willing to play for the league minimum, then he didn't really want to play for MIA at all?  I mean, come on.

[JVides]

Taylor would want his agent involved because Taylor's not in the business of reading contracts.  As someone who reads contracts quite often, let me tell you that they make my brain hurt.  He's no idiot; he's not going to sign on the dotted line without his agent telling him the contract's kosher.  Come on, guys.  Common sense, please!

As for wanting more from the Dolphins, please refer back to the blogs listed to see that this was not the case!  He got one offer in November and nothing since.  NOTHING.  Not $1, not $1 M, not $9 M.  NOTHING.

[dolfan13]

right right i know, because he needed his agent to negotiate agreeable terms based on a long term huge money deal here.

poor jason, he was at risk to get royally screwed on the one year deal he was looking at here.