Taylor: May I have this dance?
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor almost nailed his dance routine with the South Florida media over the weekend. In an attempt to win the PR battle with Bill Parcells, Taylor met with reporters at the Hard Rock Live arena near Hollywood, Fla., to tell at least half of his side of the story.
"This thing was never supposed to be a confrontation,'" Taylor said. "This is not about me versus Bill Parcells. It has digressed to be a confrontational situation. I'm here to tell you that's not the way I wanted it to be.'"
No, he hinted at the way he wanted it to be. Taylor actually wanted to take the first train/boat out of town, and finish his career with a team that has a shot at making the playoffs. The problem is that Parcells' hard-line stance drove down Taylor's trade value.
Behind closed doors, head coach Tony Sparano was attempting to find common ground with Taylor, but in the most memorable moment of his brief head coaching career, he peered over his glasses and announced that Taylor would not be participating in minicamps or training camp.
There's actually precedent for a new regime having a public standoff with an iconic Dolphins player. Some of you might recall that former head coach Jimmy Johnson thought he had enough skins on the wall to take on Dan Marino in South Florida. Of course, we all know how that worked out.
Obviously, Taylor's not on Marino's level in terms of status, but he is a team leader and the franchise's most popular player. I think Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote is correct in saying that Taylor will finish his career with the Dolphins.
Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde thinks everyone should get off Jason Taylor's back. Hyde wonders why everyone thought Taylor was going to show up and demand a trade over the weekend. That's not the man's style.
"This entire issue is the residue of a lost franchise," writes Hyde. "Four regimes in five years, busted picks, misspent millions, Ricky, Wanny, Nicky, Daunte, Cam -- it tells what a mess they've left when Taylor can be cast as a heavy."
"He should get a medal for surviving 11 years and building a good name. Instead, people want his head now. The next line in the sand: training camp. Will he miss it, as Sparano has said? Is it still up for a decision, as Taylor suggested in what looked like his Hollywood acting debut Sunday, playing coy as he did?
And does it really matter as much as everyone will say, considering the New York Giants' Michael Strahan missed all of training camp and the preseason last year and still helped his team win the Super Bowl?"
Here's an idea: The Cowboys have a disgruntled defensive end/LB named Greg Ellis who is already familiar with the Dolphins' 3-4 defense. The two franchises should simply swap disgruntled players. Taylor gets to finish his career on a Super Bowl contender and with his brother-in-law, Zach Thomas.
Ellis wouldn't have to worry about his OTA reps being taken away by Anthony Spencer and he would provide some much-needed veteran leadership. As Todd Archer of the DMN points out, Taylor would have to restructure his contract to fit under the Cowboys' salary cap, but I think he'd be flexible.
Honestly, this trade makes a ton of sense.
Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor almost nailed his dance routine with the South Florida media over the weekend. In an attempt to win the PR battle with Bill Parcells, Taylor met with reporters at the Hard Rock Live arena near Hollywood, Fla., to tell at least half of his side of the story.
"This thing was never supposed to be a confrontation,'" Taylor said. "This is not about me versus Bill Parcells. It has digressed to be a confrontational situation. I'm here to tell you that's not the way I wanted it to be.'"
No, he hinted at the way he wanted it to be. Taylor actually wanted to take the first train/boat out of town, and finish his career with a team that has a shot at making the playoffs. The problem is that Parcells' hard-line stance drove down Taylor's trade value.
Behind closed doors, head coach Tony Sparano was attempting to find common ground with Taylor, but in the most memorable moment of his brief head coaching career, he peered over his glasses and announced that Taylor would not be participating in minicamps or training camp.
There's actually precedent for a new regime having a public standoff with an iconic Dolphins player. Some of you might recall that former head coach Jimmy Johnson thought he had enough skins on the wall to take on Dan Marino in South Florida. Of course, we all know how that worked out.
Obviously, Taylor's not on Marino's level in terms of status, but he is a team leader and the franchise's most popular player. I think Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote is correct in saying that Taylor will finish his career with the Dolphins.
Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde thinks everyone should get off Jason Taylor's back. Hyde wonders why everyone thought Taylor was going to show up and demand a trade over the weekend. That's not the man's style.
"This entire issue is the residue of a lost franchise," writes Hyde. "Four regimes in five years, busted picks, misspent millions, Ricky, Wanny, Nicky, Daunte, Cam -- it tells what a mess they've left when Taylor can be cast as a heavy."
"He should get a medal for surviving 11 years and building a good name. Instead, people want his head now. The next line in the sand: training camp. Will he miss it, as Sparano has said? Is it still up for a decision, as Taylor suggested in what looked like his Hollywood acting debut Sunday, playing coy as he did?
And does it really matter as much as everyone will say, considering the New York Giants' Michael Strahan missed all of training camp and the preseason last year and still helped his team win the Super Bowl?"
Here's an idea: The Cowboys have a disgruntled defensive end/LB named Greg Ellis who is already familiar with the Dolphins' 3-4 defense. The two franchises should simply swap disgruntled players. Taylor gets to finish his career on a Super Bowl contender and with his brother-in-law, Zach Thomas.
Ellis wouldn't have to worry about his OTA reps being taken away by Anthony Spencer and he would provide some much-needed veteran leadership. As Todd Archer of the DMN points out, Taylor would have to restructure his contract to fit under the Cowboys' salary cap, but I think he'd be flexible.
Honestly, this trade makes a ton of sense.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:40 PM
<< Home