When Jason Taylor left the Washington Redskins' debacle against Carolina on Saturday night, 'Skins fans could be forgiven for wondering if the team would ever have a pass rush again. Taylor hobbled off midway through the second quarter after his knee twisted awkwardly whilst at the bottom of a pile of bodies during a DeAngelo Williams run.
Fortunately for Taylor, it does not appear to be a serious injury - although the knee sprain that he has suffered could preclude him from starting the team's regular season opener against the Giants a week on Thursday.
Taylor is unlikely to attend any form of dancing class in that time. Just so that 'Skins fans can breathe slightly easier.
Showing posts with label Jason Taylor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jason Taylor. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Monday, 21 July 2008
Taylor traded to Redskins
As we mentioned yesterday, ESPN.com's John Clayton was correct in his assertion that the 'Skins were planning a swoop for want-away DE Jason Taylor. Washington confirmed the signing yesterday, adding a key part to a Defensive line that has been largely ignored in both the draft and Free Agency for some time.
The cost? A second rounder in 2009, and a sixth in 2010. Whether that constitutes good value will largely be down to whether the team can convince Taylor to renege on his desire to play just one more year, something he stated earlier this offseason.
Interestingly, Redskins Executive Vice President Vinny Cerrato said that he was "100% positive that he (Taylor) will play longer than one year". The player's agent, Gary Wichard, was non-committal on the subject. If the team shows enough that Taylor is enthused by the potential, then he could stay. On the other hand, he will also be looking to cash in on his increased level of ubiquity since his 'Dancing with the Stars' appearance this year.
- Redskins DE Jason Taylor
It's a gamble for the Skins, because the fact is that, while Taylor will fill a short term void, there is a possibility of losing both Taylor and the second round pick at the end of the 2008 season.
The cost? A second rounder in 2009, and a sixth in 2010. Whether that constitutes good value will largely be down to whether the team can convince Taylor to renege on his desire to play just one more year, something he stated earlier this offseason.
Interestingly, Redskins Executive Vice President Vinny Cerrato said that he was "100% positive that he (Taylor) will play longer than one year". The player's agent, Gary Wichard, was non-committal on the subject. If the team shows enough that Taylor is enthused by the potential, then he could stay. On the other hand, he will also be looking to cash in on his increased level of ubiquity since his 'Dancing with the Stars' appearance this year.
"I love Miami [and] will always cherish my 11 years with the Dolphins," Taylor said in a statement. "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."
- Redskins DE Jason Taylor
It's a gamble for the Skins, because the fact is that, while Taylor will fill a short term void, there is a possibility of losing both Taylor and the second round pick at the end of the 2008 season.
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Taylor destined for Redskins
John Clayton of ESPN.com has reported on a domino effect that will likely see Miami Defensive End Jason Taylor head to Washington.
The 'skins have been perenially terrible on the D-line for some time now, and the news that veteran DE Philip Daniels is likely out for the entire 2008 season with a torn ACL, has pushed 'Dan Snyder Airlines' back into business.
The Dolphins had asked for a first round pick prior to the draft this year, but there didn't seem to be much of a market for a player who has expressed his desire to play just one more year. We covered the Taylor situation back in June, and made it clear that in our eyes, there is no logic behind giving up a high draft pick for a player with a maximum of one year left in the league.
Of course, use of the word 'logic' is unheard of in any Redskins dealings, so this story might actually have legs. If the rumours are correct, then Washington could be in the situation next year where they have no Taylor, and no draft pick to replace him.
Incidentally, this week we will be posting the 2008 Season previews of the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Redskins.
The 'skins have been perenially terrible on the D-line for some time now, and the news that veteran DE Philip Daniels is likely out for the entire 2008 season with a torn ACL, has pushed 'Dan Snyder Airlines' back into business.
The Dolphins had asked for a first round pick prior to the draft this year, but there didn't seem to be much of a market for a player who has expressed his desire to play just one more year. We covered the Taylor situation back in June, and made it clear that in our eyes, there is no logic behind giving up a high draft pick for a player with a maximum of one year left in the league.
Of course, use of the word 'logic' is unheard of in any Redskins dealings, so this story might actually have legs. If the rumours are correct, then Washington could be in the situation next year where they have no Taylor, and no draft pick to replace him.
Incidentally, this week we will be posting the 2008 Season previews of the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Redskins.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Brett Favre 'Has itch'
ESPN's Chris Mortensen is tonight claiming that the story that we all thought would never go away - but then actually went away - has returned like a deadly sequel.
Brett Favre may be reconsidering his retirement.
The 'source' says that "Favre has communicated his potential desire to coach Mike McCarthy but talks have not advanced to a substantive stage". If true, it obviously throws a huge, planet-sized Spanner into the Packers' offseason program. Don't forget that Aaron Rodgers has spent three seasons waiting for this moment, and the entire organisation has already made it's peace with Favre's retirement. For him to come back would not only (in our opinion) be unfair on Rodgers, it would be unfair on the personnel team that drafted Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn during this year's draft.
If Favre truly loves the Packers as he said he did, he would appreciate that the time has come for them to move on as a team.
For us, there is another reason to not come back, and that is the legacy that Favre leaves. When he went out in tears, it would take a robot not to have welled up at his emotional goodbye. Consequently, if he was to come back, his career is almost certain to end with a muted goodbye that we will not remember.
The piece also mentions the possibility of a trade, but to where? You'd have to be pretty sure that you had a Superbowl contending offence - and that the only piece missing was at Quarterback - to convince Favre to join. Then you would need to give the Packers at least a first rounder, and pay Favre's $12m salary for a year. All whilst knowing that you'd be lucky to get more than one season out of him. It's basically the Jason Taylor situation multiplied by a million.
No, we think this is just a story that was bound to come out at some point. Of course Brett was going to miss the locker room as the months wore on. Who wouldn't? Many retired players say that the hardest part of retirement is not being part of the team anymore. In our opinion, Favre should have a stab at media work, even if it's not his ultimate desire. The reason he feels this way is more than likely that he will have no role next year, Whereas Michael Strahan will have his own 'big game' to get ready for every Sunday.
You know there would be no shortage of takers...
Brett Favre may be reconsidering his retirement.
The 'source' says that "Favre has communicated his potential desire to coach Mike McCarthy but talks have not advanced to a substantive stage". If true, it obviously throws a huge, planet-sized Spanner into the Packers' offseason program. Don't forget that Aaron Rodgers has spent three seasons waiting for this moment, and the entire organisation has already made it's peace with Favre's retirement. For him to come back would not only (in our opinion) be unfair on Rodgers, it would be unfair on the personnel team that drafted Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn during this year's draft.
If Favre truly loves the Packers as he said he did, he would appreciate that the time has come for them to move on as a team.
For us, there is another reason to not come back, and that is the legacy that Favre leaves. When he went out in tears, it would take a robot not to have welled up at his emotional goodbye. Consequently, if he was to come back, his career is almost certain to end with a muted goodbye that we will not remember.
The piece also mentions the possibility of a trade, but to where? You'd have to be pretty sure that you had a Superbowl contending offence - and that the only piece missing was at Quarterback - to convince Favre to join. Then you would need to give the Packers at least a first rounder, and pay Favre's $12m salary for a year. All whilst knowing that you'd be lucky to get more than one season out of him. It's basically the Jason Taylor situation multiplied by a million.
No, we think this is just a story that was bound to come out at some point. Of course Brett was going to miss the locker room as the months wore on. Who wouldn't? Many retired players say that the hardest part of retirement is not being part of the team anymore. In our opinion, Favre should have a stab at media work, even if it's not his ultimate desire. The reason he feels this way is more than likely that he will have no role next year, Whereas Michael Strahan will have his own 'big game' to get ready for every Sunday.
You know there would be no shortage of takers...
Saturday, 21 June 2008
Jason Taylor to the Packers... a few thoughts.
People are gushing over the possibility of Jason Taylor's proposed trade to Green Bay. Let's just clarify a few things first though, before people need reconstructive surgery on their worn out genitalia.
In fact, here's some reasons why the Taylor trade makes zero sense for either side:
1) From the Packers' point of view, Taylor is not a sound investment unless he brings them a Superbowl. A player who has expressed a desire to only play one year in the NFL is never the kind of guy you want to shell out serious money for. Not to mention that they're going to need to throw a 2nd rounder Miami's way.
2) Taylor wants to play on a championship winning team. That's his primary motivation for leaving a franchise that has been nothing but good for him throughout the years. Are the Packers that team? Perhaps if Brett Favre wasn't sitting on a tractor shooting deer and... chewing tobacco. That's how we imagine things go down on the farm when Deanna is shopping. ANYWAY moving on. Are the Packers that team without Favre? We don't know. How can anyone know? Aaron Rodgers is an unproven QB, and if there's one position that it's difficult for a team to cover for, it's the guy under centre. The Pack are solid, but with the biggest question of all still remaining, is Taylor sure that they'll be a contender in '08?
3) The Packers think that if Taylor decides to play 2 years, then it's a decent deal. On paper they're right, but what happens if the Packers actually do win? It's difficult to imagine him staying around for the final part of that 2 year deal, no matter how much money is left on the table. Similiarly, if they don't, is he really likely to give the effort needed to take the Packers to the next level in '09? Imagine of the Pack implode next year. You're not going to see Jason Taylor at any Voluntary mini-camps, that's for sure.
So no matter what the posturing from the Dolphins or Packers, any deal for Taylor falls squarely under the 'one year, Superbowl or bust' category. The strange thing is, Green Bay has a relatively young team (barring a few players such as Woodson and Driver), and are certainly not in a situation where Taylor would be the missing piece of their puzzle. He's certainly a quality player, but right now it's hard to think that his football focus is still what it was 2 years ago, when he was named NFL Defensive player of the year.
And by the way, 'puzzle' really is the optimum term for this deal.
In fact, here's some reasons why the Taylor trade makes zero sense for either side:
1) From the Packers' point of view, Taylor is not a sound investment unless he brings them a Superbowl. A player who has expressed a desire to only play one year in the NFL is never the kind of guy you want to shell out serious money for. Not to mention that they're going to need to throw a 2nd rounder Miami's way.
2) Taylor wants to play on a championship winning team. That's his primary motivation for leaving a franchise that has been nothing but good for him throughout the years. Are the Packers that team? Perhaps if Brett Favre wasn't sitting on a tractor shooting deer and... chewing tobacco. That's how we imagine things go down on the farm when Deanna is shopping. ANYWAY moving on. Are the Packers that team without Favre? We don't know. How can anyone know? Aaron Rodgers is an unproven QB, and if there's one position that it's difficult for a team to cover for, it's the guy under centre. The Pack are solid, but with the biggest question of all still remaining, is Taylor sure that they'll be a contender in '08?
3) The Packers think that if Taylor decides to play 2 years, then it's a decent deal. On paper they're right, but what happens if the Packers actually do win? It's difficult to imagine him staying around for the final part of that 2 year deal, no matter how much money is left on the table. Similiarly, if they don't, is he really likely to give the effort needed to take the Packers to the next level in '09? Imagine of the Pack implode next year. You're not going to see Jason Taylor at any Voluntary mini-camps, that's for sure.
So no matter what the posturing from the Dolphins or Packers, any deal for Taylor falls squarely under the 'one year, Superbowl or bust' category. The strange thing is, Green Bay has a relatively young team (barring a few players such as Woodson and Driver), and are certainly not in a situation where Taylor would be the missing piece of their puzzle. He's certainly a quality player, but right now it's hard to think that his football focus is still what it was 2 years ago, when he was named NFL Defensive player of the year.
And by the way, 'puzzle' really is the optimum term for this deal.
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