Who should go? Joey Porter or Jason Taylor...or both

If Jason Taylor will re-sign for little more than last season, and the coaches can agree to leave him on the field for third down (one of the issues he wants to sort out), he’ll stay.

If he’s willing to retain his role, or perhaps relinquish it to some degree, with a similar pay, this will possibly be his last season, and it would be here. They do need him to teach the young guys, the rookies specifically. They need him as a leader: he may be the last one we have left after Porter gets cut. Which, I think will happen.

It seems more 60-40 than 50-50 that he’ll decide against doing so because of past decisions made by Parcells and the linebacker-laden draft I expect them to have. I just don’t see Miami giving up such important snaps for their rookies in favor of a guy who won’t lead them anywhere far. If JT can settle, again, for the opportunity to make (at least) one last run, he’ll stay.

I’m less optimistic about that happening than some may be.

Trade him for anything!! Otherwise cut him!

I don’t know!

Coach!, please figure this out for us.

I think hes the same liability in run defense and pass coverage as wake and I think wake is a better pass rusher, i also think we should keep jt

JT will just take snaps from those that will be here when it counts, wave goodbye

Even ‘08, I thought he was overrated due to the fact he cant play the run or pass. Even against teams that do nothing but pass like the Patriots, Colts, and Charges. He was M.I.A. and I don’t mean Miami.

Sparano refused to confirm or deny a report on SunSentinel.com that had multiple sources saying veteran linebackers Joey Porter and Jason Taylor clashed late in the season over Porter’s refusal to come off the field on some third downs.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-dolphins-0126-20100125,0,4949643.story?page=1&track=rss

If it was like they are saying its really up to the coaches how they want to approach it….It might be worth it to keep them both around for a bit more … The hardest thing to find is someone that can consistently bring pressure. We have 2 guys that have proven that they can do that… I don’t even count last year. Let the coaches decide if they can still use Taylor and Porter. Sometimes its hard to escape a really bad sceme, and last year we were as Pop Warner and vanilla as it comes. When I saw the difference between what we were doing and what the Jets were doing it made me sick…. Just think of how long Seau was effective. There is something to be said about being a veteran. They know all the tricks. They just need a better scheme to get them in the right position to be effective…. Give them another year…. shore up our ILBs, WRs, TE and NT. As much as I hate to say it I think Gibril might even be servicable if he gets in the right system(he was pretty good for the NYG at FS right?) Replace the glaring needs, and fill the holes that we can for this year with the pieces that we have… The most obvious thing we needed was a better scheme. Secondaries get instantly better when they don’t have to lead the team in tackles and there is consistent harrassment of the QB from the front 7. Gibril wasn’t burned to my knowledge the first half of the Sants game. The whole secondary became amazing, when we were bringing pressure and confusing Brees.

provides no pass rush ability at all. He was going to the wayyy outside every time he was going after the QB.

Its time to reload the LBs and allow the existing players under 30 prove themselves. We’ve invested in guys like Anderson, Moses and Wake and its time to see what they’ve learned in the last 2 seasons.

Its not that I don’t appreciate everything JT has brought to this franchise but the age of this roster is just moving in a different direction. I appreciate the attitude JP brought to this D but he’s not worth the trouble anymore.

This roster was forced to go even younger than they planned due to injury so lets just roll with it. Here are the 11 oldest players on the roster last season. I think its safe to say a few of these names are gone next season.
 
Jason Taylor 35-If we add OLB through the draft or FA someone will have to go.
Jason Ferguson 35-Happy to have him back until someone proves better than Solai, then they’ll compete with Ferg.
Chad Pennington 33-If we can sneak White on the roster as a non-QB then I’d like Chad back but I want Thigpen too.
Joey Porter 32-See JT
Ricky Williams 32-Ronnie, Lex, Cobbs, Sheets and I’m sure they’ll add a FA or draft pick. Someone has to go.
Yeremiah Bell 31-Injury free season+Pro Bowl might equal trade value. At his age there can’t be much left.
Will Allen 31-I doubt they demote Davis or Smith so how much can you pay your 3rd CB?
John Denney 31-I’m surprised they haven’t taught someone to LS that can play other spots.
Akin Ayodele 30-If you add an ILB through FA or the draft then someone has to go.
Jake Grove 30-Not going anywhere.
Reggie Torbor 29-I see them giving getting rid of Ayodele before they toss Torbor.

Its the business side of the game. If they can somehow acquire value for any of these guys I’m sure they would seriously consider it. Here’s another few to consider.

Gibril Wilson 28-After last year I doubt he has value in trade. Maybe trade Bell and move Wilson over?
Ronnie Brown 28-Tuna thinks RB is found easily. Is this our last chance to get value for Brown?
Greg Camarillo 27-Did nothing but prove his worth. If we add a WR then someone needs to go. Cam has value.
Channing Crowder 26-I don’t think they wanted to pay him last year. I don’t think they like him. He has value.
Ted Ginn Jr. 24-Wouldn’t surprise me and he does still have value in trade.

Aside from low level cuts I’d be surprised to see any other vets exit besides the guys I’ve listed. Most are holdovers from the Saban and Cam teams so I’m sure they’ll move some of these guys before they move the players they’ve developed over the last two seasons.

I would keep Taylor anything under 2 million for a 1 year deal… really he earned this last year and was paid much less. He is a LEADER and a Standup guy. If uses correctly he can still get 10 sacks a year, and could be a playoff force when 100% rested and healthy….During the TEXANS game, I watched him on the sidelines and when the coaches kept him out – he was still trying to “coach up” the young guys and light a fire…to no avail. Porter stunk it up as usual. Porter looks and plays “older” than Taylor, and with that salary – get rid of him.
If Porter didnt listen to the coaches about being “pulled” then we have another problem with our coach – and we have been led to believe that TONY is doing a good job. that’s a MAJOR FAILING !!! for the sake of the team if this is true – make an example out of joey.
If we were SMART – we would look to TRADE Will Allen, and look to move Wilson anyway i can….He was TERRIBLE all year…

Cut everybody and put him everywhere at once!!!!!

Let me say this: JT has been my favorite Dolphin player since Marino. I own 2 Dolphin Jersery’s, Marino and JT. I think he is a HOF player and one of the best all around DE / OLB to play the game the last 10 years.

All that being said, he is not going to be part of this defense the next time the Dolphins are in a position to win a Super Bowl. He is simply too old. If that is the case, I don’t want him taking snaps away from players who will be or can be on the team at that time. Let’s see more of Wake. Let’s see more of Anderson. Let’s draft his replacement (something this FO should have been doing the last two drafts) and play him. Let’s see if these guys are any good. You can’t do that in limited snaps.

JT is the past. It was a great past but it’s time to move on. It’s time to look to the future.

Taylor has lots to offier as far as a leadership standpoint

But I would like to see a new LB and Wake play more often than not

that one player, namely Porter, had that much pull on how things were done. I mean sending guys off? WTF? I mean yeah PP was fired as DC, but who was running this team anyway?

Personally I’m OK with having JT back next year. Considering what this FO is paying “Gerbil” Wilson to flail around the secondary & put make every opposing TE into a pro bowl candidate – i’d say JT’s production/salary ratio are superb!

I think it is easy to get in the mindset of ‘we have to get younger’ , ‘play rookies’ etc, and to some extent there is truth to that, but great teams always have veterans as well. NE has shown that throughout the last decade and parcells own SB winning teams were definitely manned by plenty of veterans.

There’s nothing to say we can’t increase our young talent, develop those players but also have veterans in certain spots.

Joey has to go…beside the fact that his skills are dropping, but we all know he took off plays during the course of a game. And if he is putting negative vibes in the locker room that isnt healthy. Charlie A is a good stop gap and has a great motor and when on the field he does produce. I don’t want Taylor to go, not because he has been so good for the dolphins and the surrounding areas of Miami, but he is a leader…something we lost when CP10 went out. Joey is a big pay check that talks too much and doesnt produce….We need youth in that position. We all know were going to get another OLB in the draft…joey is only going to be more pissed about younger guys getting reps. Cut it off now before it gets worse.

We might be able to entice Arizona with him as part of a deal for Dansby or Boldin. It looks to me like he is starting to get to the point with us that he got to in Pittsburgh, which got him shipped off.

As for JT, despite him being pretty old, I would say to give him another year. He showed that he’s still got something left in him, and we could use a veteran leader like him to help out with the younger guys. I think that we should give him another 1 year contract and let him help teach our rookies. I would like to see him retire as a Dolphin when he decides to, and would hate to see him on another team again.

Lets trade Joey and see if we can get a 3rd rounder for him.

JT means a lot to the franchise, has still got skills/desire, and besides mentoring the new rookie(s) will buy time to develop a younger raw player.
Try to trade Joey Porter or just release him.

Joey is the pain in the ass you can forget about when winning. When losing he is just… a pain in the ass.

JT has proven he can play great and steal draft picks from the Redskins. He is still worth every penny to me.

not only having a bad season this year but this guy is suppose to be one of our leaders and ya people will say he runs his mouth and all the other b/s but really who doesnt?? his mouth is just more public….but when you start having problems with coaching staff and with taking snaps from players (that are likely going to have a bigger impact) it’s just a matter of time before they do something with you and unfortunately I believe JP’s time in miami is done unless he personally talks to the coaches and can talk them outta it I cant see him here next year and im disappointed I was all on the JP wagon when he came to miami I even had his jersey it’s just a shame it had to go out like this

Keep JT at all costs. Get him back with the Dolphins. He is an inspirational leader and still a top talent. I’m not a Joey hater, but question is does he live up to the money they pay him. In the end it will be up to the brain trust to make the decisions of the best players to make the defense work as a team and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Joey gone and really dissappointed if they can’t keep JT.

I think we need to realize that Porter and Taylor were not “taking snaps” from Cameron Wake, etc. Wake obviously did not earn the right to be on the field for those times. He is great at going after the QB, but if that is all he can do, the coaches can’t neccessarily put him right in at OLB. Let him learn from 2 All-Pro OLBs for a year(or as long as they think it takes). If it is true that Porter was sending people off the field, I say we need to get rid of him for that reason. Then we keep JT and get Wake ready to be the man on the other side. I really didn’t see anything special from any of the other OLBs we had. I am all for getting younger, but there is only so much you can do in one year. We need 2 ILBs. The ones we have suck. We need a NT. We need a #1 receiver. I think Chris Clemens might be ready by next season to take over for Gibril. But seriously, how many game changing OLBs are there? Say what you want about JT, but even last year he made some critical plays. The ball just gravitates to him on a fumble, interception, etc. That is more than just luck. He still can be a valuable player for us and he deserves the chance to retire in a Dolphins uniform. I love the idea of keeping him around to help Wake along. Next year we can probably think about OLB with our first pick to try to replace him, but we honestly have too many gaping holes in the middle of the defense to even start worrying about the outside. We were pretty solid there this year for the most part. I think Porter and Taylor would both play better under Nolan though, so we should also think about that…. I still think we get rid of Porter though if he was sending people off the field so he could stay in…

No country for old men !!!!!

Joey’s mouth is part of what he is (liked it on ‘08, huh?) so accept it always or never. His “rocking the Joey boat” issue is a coaching problem.
His failing isn’t for lack of trying (see coaching problem). In ‘09 he was noticed by far better teams.
Same with Gibril. He was put in a position out of his element. He failed. Blame him (see coaching problem)?
JT played out of his element and didn’t perform well (for JT). See coaching problem.

….then I read Matty’s post. Getting rid of Porter seems to be the right thing to do. A player is supposed to respect and abide his coaches’ decisions. Players are, after all, employees. I can’t see how that would be allowed to happen more than once, twice tops.

Also, is there any reason to watch the Pro bowl?