Could there be a reunion down in South Florida? You never know.
Alright - I give up. I really tried to stay away from this topic. I really, really tried. But now it's gotten to the point where I just can't. And the main reason why is John Clayton's latest report - one which says that the Dolphins are one of Taylor's two main options. And yes, New England is the other.
Before we get to any of that, though, let me just explain why I wanted to stay away from this. There are many reasons, in fact. But the main one is simply because I do not like soap operas. I hate them. I despise them. And that is exactly what this whole "Jason Taylor vs Bill Parcells" saga turned into last offseason. As it turns out, truth be told, much of it was way over-exaggerated. But that ridiculous media circus last offseason really turned me off of any Taylor-related talk. Hey - can you blame me?
Then there's the whole "JT turned against the Dolphins and forced his way out" idea that was going around upon the trade that sent Taylor to Washington. Unfortunately, we'll never really know what went down behind closed doors; nor should we even care. Here's what I know for sure about Jason Taylor - he's a Miami Dolphin legend. And while I was one of the most vocal "disapprovers" last offseason about Taylor's feelings towards Miami's offseason training program and other "voluntary" workouts, that doesn't mean I wouldn't want Jason back in 2009. But I think he'll have to have a different attitude.
No longer is Jason Taylor a "holier than thou" figure in Miami - especially within the walls of the Dolphins' Davie facility. Is it any coincidence that Jason's worst career season came after an offseason where it's been perceived that he wasn't fully committed to working out and preparing for football activities? Maybe. But I'd bet that one does have something to do with the other.
And all that leads me to this latest report from John Clayton. In his blog, he writes:
Interest in former Dolphin and Redskin Jason Taylor will pick up over the next two weeks, but the Dolphins and Patriots will be his main options. Taylor wanted to take three weeks to sort through his life and spend time with his family. Watch for the Dolphins' interest to grow.
It'll be interesting to see how this whole thing plays out. If the money both teams offered Taylor was similar, would Taylor choose the Dolphins over the Patriots? I know one thing - if he doesn't, his legacy in Miami takes a big hit. Of course, if the Pats offer more money, it's completely understandable if Jason accepts their offer. But if all things are equal, we're going to see if Taylor really does love Miami as much as he claims.
One thing we do know is that Taylor has spoken with Tony Sparano and is open to a return to Miami. Taylor told the Sun-Sentinel:
"I haven't ruled anything out. I have spoken to Tony (Sparano) at length. And I've always loved Tony. I said it when I left. I told Tony when I left and went to D.C. that one of my biggest regrets of not being down here last season was not getting to play for him. Because he was great with the whole Dancing with the Stars and the offseason, he was great. I'd love to play for him, but I'm not in charge of that."
I think that how Taylor will be viewed in 10 years will be shaped, in large part, by how this particular situation plays out. Would Taylor really "love to play" for Sparano?" Or is he just playing up to his long-time fans and supporters in Miami?