The Jason Taylor Story

Well, the word has now changed. Dolphins DE Jason Taylor says he will play another season, even if it is with the 'phins. This is a huge change of heart, as his agent demanded a trade only a few weeks ago. Taylor denied that he wanted to be traded, but says he wants to win. Well, the Dolphins will be better this season, but won't even come close to the playoffs. This is a good move for Taylor, who can now prove his worth, and increase his trade value. Hopefully, for the Dolphins sake, he comes through and reports to training camp. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano says he is unsure what Taylor will do, but they hope he reports.
The struggle between Taylor and the team continues, but it all started with a bit of Dancing. Weird, eh? When Taylor decided to participate in the recent season of Dancing with the Stars, he turned his back on the team, in a way. By doing this, Taylor bailed on team work outs all spring, and will be greatly fined for this. Most coaches and analyists thought this meant Taylor was unhappy with his situation in Miami, but this was only half true. Taylor is unhappy with the talent level on his team, but has always had a good raport with coaches and owners.
Any team will be very lucky to acquire Taylor, who at 34, could play a few more years. It seems his best bet at this time would be to stick with a team that uses a 3-4 defence, as his speed is utilized better as an edge rusher. My advice to both Taylor and the Dolphins: get this done fast, or suck it up and cooperate for the time being. Nothing hurts a team more than having one of its best players disgruntled. (see Terrell Owens (Eagles) and Chad Johnson (Bengals))

-> In other news, the Raiders have said they want to make signing rookie RB Darren McFadden a priority. Signing your rookies should always be a priority, so this isn't a shock. McFadden will add a new dimension to the offence, and they hope he can speed the development of QB JaMarcus Russell.
-> The Buccaneers have taken the first step in clearing up their murky QB situation by releasing third year pro Bruce Gradkowski. Gradkowski showed a bit of promise during a brief starting stint in his rookie year, but saw little time last year. He could be a decent backup for another team. This leaves the Bucs with probable starter Jeff Garcia, as well as Luke McCown, Brian Griese, Chris Simms, Josh Johnson and perhaps (but not likely) Jake Plummer.
-> The Bucs have also re-signed TE Jerramy Stevens. Stevens now joins a crowded group of TEs, and could struggle to see time. Stevens still has some promise in his 6'7 body, but has shown little effort during his career. He joins Alex Smith, Ben Troupe and John Gilmore at the position.
-> The Giants received their Super Bowl Rings earlier in the week.

A bit of a short post today, but there isn't much happening. Things will improve, I promise.