Can Taylor dance his way out of Miami?

April 24, 2008 · Paul Raymond · Jump to comments

Related Items

So Jason Taylor wants out of Miami, and the Miami Dolphins are doing their best to accommodate. That much is pretty well known, but what are the chances that he’ll get traded, or even dance his way in to the sunset and retire. Lets look at the possibilities.

Trade. I think a trade is going to be pretty hard to do because of the value the Dolphins have placed on the soon to be 34 year old Taylor. The team would like a mid-to-late first rounder, while other scouts look at him being a second rounder at best, with maybe performance based future considerations. Another thing, Taylor has said he’ll retire if he’s not dealt to a championship contender. According to John Clayton at ESPN, a 1st or 2nd round pick is a long shot for Taylor at this point in his career, and the Fins would be lucky to get a 3rd. We all know Bill Parcells, he doesn’t get involved with a team for the long haul, he wants to win and win quick, so why would he give up a very effective Taylor for a 3-round player they need to develop?

Retirement. Taylor has threatened to retire if traded to a non-contender. As well as, threatening to retire if not dealt. So what are the Dolphins to do? Well Parcells it looks like is playing hardball. “The only way Jason Taylor won’t be playing for the Dolphins in 2008 is if he chooses to retire,” Parcells said.

Whats likely to happen? I believe he’ll be in a Dolphins uniform next season. Taylor is to good of a talent for the short-sighted Parcells to just give up for a developmental project. Parcells also knows the best chance for the Fins to become competitive again is to have this guy on his defense. The Dolphins have over $18 million in cap room so they do have money in the coffins. It could be possible that Miami throws a few extra dollars his way in bonus money to keep him happy. But in the end, Taylor isn’t walking away from the money he’ll earn this year. Clayton said it best, “If a deal does not come to pass, Taylor and the Dolphins have to look at this as a no-harm, no-foul situation.”

Feel free to follow us on TWITTER and/or subscribe to our RSS feed.