Update: Taylor to Visit GB on Monday

[Ill-yasova]

Uh, I don't know. I guess I could be for this depending on how much he costs.

[mnstinks]

I don't know. I wouldn't give him a lot...

[mnstinks]

So, these are the possibilities on the DL:

Igor
Vonnie Holliday
Marques Douglas
Mike Wright

and remote chance:
Jason Taylor

Sign Igor and at least another.

[aaprigs311]

I'll definitely take Taylor. He was a defensive mvp under Capers in Miami. He'd be solid at the other outside linebacker hole. We'd have more flexibility with the draft as well. We know TT likes him too. The Taylor to GB rumors were swirling last offseason.

[blueedwards]

Depends on his asking price. But he is a play maker.

[ReasonablySober]

Depends on his asking price. But he is a play maker.

Not for Washington, he wasn't.

[jakecronus8]

Front loaded incentives based, though we are up against the cap. Might be hard to squeeze him in. I'd actually prefer his teammate and former packer Vonnie at a fraction of the cost

[MikeIsGood]

At DE, no way. Way too small. And as an OLB, I'm not sure how keen I am on making a DE who will be 35 next season make the switch, a year after an underwhelming season.

[xTitan]

No thank you, I want an athletic young guy who can run coming off the end.

[aaprigs311]

At DE, no way. Way too small. And as an OLB, I'm not sure how keen I am on making a DE who will be 35 next season make the switch, a year after an underwhelming season.

He has plenty of experience playing OLB in the 3-4. It's not his first rodeo. A lot of experts were saying that playing DE stunted his playmaking abilities. The injuries also didn't help, but.. I think he can still be a productive OLB. He'd be a nice stop gap for the time being at least.

[MikeIsGood]

He's spent time at OLB in the past, I know a lot in college, but recently? I don't recall it ever being his full-time job. I remember when he was moving back and forth a lot a few years ago.

It would be his full-time job here, potentially. The guy is getting old. Now he's starting to get injured, and I'd be losing confidence on him still having the athletic ability to rush the passer. Is that the kind of situation you want to put a 35 year old in who looked underwhelming last season? Not me, and not for the likely price.

[eagle13]

I doubt he'd start if we take a OLB #1 or even #2 which I sorta expect since they seem to be deep in this draft. But I suppose he could maybe rotate and lend 3-4 vet leadership for a transitional year?

Prefer spend on DE's Igor and/or Holiday.

[Ill-yasova]

He's spent time at OLB in the past, I know a lot in college, but recently? I don't recall it ever being his full-time job. I remember when he was moving back and forth a lot a few years ago.

It would be his full-time job here, potentially. The guy is getting old. Now he's starting to get injured, and I'd be losing confidence on him still having the athletic ability to rush the passer. Is that the kind of situation you want to put a 35 year old in who looked underwhelming last season? Not me, and not for the likely price.

He played primarily 3-4 under Capers if I'm not mistaken. His best year as a pro was at OLB.

[MikeIsGood]

I might have poor memory on this issue, and just don't recall him standing up as much as he did, but for what it's worth Taylor went to the pro-bowl under Capers (as we all know), but selected as a defensive end. This was the time I was referring to when I said he moved back and forth, because they ran hybrid and split sets. Maybe not enough to get recognized as an OLB by the league.

All I was trying to say with my post is that the guy has been an end in a 4-3 the vast majority of his 12 seasons in the league. Personally, I don't want to rely on him at OLB pass rushing when he's going to be 35 next season. Not after his underwhelming season. Redskins fans say that he lost a step, and he was injured most of the season (missed 3 games, didn't start in 5 others). Don't want that at the position we'll be relying on for pass rushing. Much rather go young in the draft.

I see the desire given what he did under Capers, I get that, and I'll acknowledge it might be something that intrigues Capers too. I personally hope it doesn't happen. I don't think we'll see anything close to the threat we previously saw under Capers.

At the end of the day, I just don't want to deal with a guy who's going to be 35 coming off of a sub-par season. I'm just not convinced he'd be athletic enough at this point to succeed playing OLB in a 3-4.

eagle, I see your point there about him not being "the guy" at OLB ideally. I just cannot imagine Jason Taylor being the type to come in an be the veteran, teacher back-up. My guess is that he'd rather retire than not be a focus. I don't see that in his personality type.

[automatic44]

To be fair, from what i've heard he was playing hurt all season and really wasn't himself, obviously. But from what I remember of him as an OLB he was pretty active, and I'm pretty sure he was standing up quite a bit. They played our division that year, and I remember him causing havoc all over the field. I know he's 35, but he seems like he stays in really good shape. Either way, I don't think GB is gonna be a fit for him. It sounds as if he really wants to stay close to his family and close to home, in Miami.

[MikeIsGood]

Okay, I'll trust you guys that he stood up more than I am recalling during his span under Capers.

But that doesn't change that I am not interested in a soon-to-be 35 year old playing OLB. That he was 'hurt and not himself' could be exactly the problem. Just draft one. As Eagle mentioned, I'd prefer to spend on one of the younger DEs.

[Wade-A-Holic]

I'd at the very least call him and see where his head's at. If he seems like he really wants to play, there's too much upside there to not be interested. A healthy, motivated Taylor opposite Kampman could be an absolute terror, not to mention he'd be that vet we all seem to want who's well versed in Capers' system.

[mnstinks]

It might be awhile before he decides...I would just move on and pursue someone else...


What now for Jason Taylor after Washington cut the former Dolphins All-Pro defensive end Monday?

Will the former Dancing With The Stars participant and McArthur milk pitchman retire and head for TV or movies? Will Taylor contact the Dolphins about a return to South Florida, where Taylor starred for 11 seasons, became a community fixture and where his family remained during his five-month stint in Washington?

''Too early to discuss either,'' Taylor's agent, Gary Wichard, wrote in an e-mail to The Miami Herald.

The Dolphins at this juncture have no interest in Taylor because they can't afford Taylor right now, but they wouldn't close the door on Taylor if the financial numbers changed in the future. Taylor, 34, was set to make $8 million in base salary in 2009.

That's more than he would make in any entertainment sphere. But money clearly isn't a deciding factor in Taylor's future. He won't make that $8 million because he wouldn't accept an additional contract clause requiring Taylor to take part in 25 of Washington's offseason workout days. He chose, instead, to spend time with his wife, Katina, and their three children.

[blueedwards]

MON., MAR 2, 2009 - 5:51 PM
Packers: Holliday, Taylor on defensive wish list
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY — A ho-hum free-agency period for the Green Bay Packers could get a lot more interesting — at least in the eyes of the green-and-gold faithful — if the team explores adding the two players with experience in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defensive scheme who became available Monday:

Ex-Packers and Miami Dolphins defensive end Vonnie Holliday, and ex-Dolphins and Washington Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor.

The Dolphins released Holliday Monday after the 11-year NFL veteran declined to restructure his contract with a $1.5 million roster bonus looming, and the Redskins did the same to Taylor, who refused to allow the club to insert a clause into Taylor’s contract that would have required him to participate in more offseason workouts at Redskins Park

After not being a serious player in the competition for ex-Dallas defensive end Chris Canty — Canty signed a six-year, $42 million deal ($17 million guaranteed) with the New York Giants Sunday — and losing longtime backup defensive tackle Colin Cole to Seattle, the Packers need to add depth on the renovated line in Capers’ 3-4 scheme.

Both Taylor and Holliday played for Capers in 2006 and ’07, when Capers was Miami’s defensive coordinator, and a league source said Monday night the team is intrigued by both players.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Holliday, 33, was the Packers’ first-round draft choice in 1998 (19th overall) and played his first five seasons with the club before departing following the 2002 season, when then-coach and GM Mike Sherman opted to re-sign defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt to a long-term deal.
Holliday eventually signed with Kansas City, then moved on to Miami, where he had spent the past four seasons. Last season, Holliday started 15 of 16 games and registered 46 tackles (30 solo) and 3.5 sacks. In 2006 under Capers, Holliday had 66 tackles (46 solo) and seven sacks, one off his career high.

Holliday did not respond to a text message or a voice mail left Monday evening, and agent Cary Fabrikant, said the Packers had yet to contact him about his client.

The Packers expressed an interest in the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Taylor when the Dolphins decided to trade him before last season, but Taylor wound up being traded to the Redskins for a second-round pick this year and a sixth-rounder in 2010. In 13 games in Washington (eight starts), Taylor had 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

A six-time All-Pro pick, Taylor, 34, was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. His 120.5 career sacks are the most among active NFL players, and he worked at both end and outside linebacker in Capers’ scheme in Miami. Taylor still makes his offseason home in South Florida.

Meanwhile, the Packers reportedly have expressed at least some interest in several lower-profile defensive linemen, including San Diego’s Igor Olshansky and Baltimore’s Marques Douglas. The Packers are likely to lose another backup defensive lineman, unrestricted free agent Mike Montgomery, who visited the Atlanta Falcons and appears ill-suited to play in the 3-4.

Packers restricted free-agent fullback John Kuhn was also testing the market Monday, visiting the Arizona Cardinals. Kuhn, who received the low tender of $1.01 million last week, is also scheduled to visit the Cincinnati Bengals. He started three games at fullback.

Kuhn is one of five Packers’ restricted free agents who are allowed to sign offers with other teams that the Packers can match. Safety Atari Bigby was given the highest tender of the group, a second-rounder worth $1.545 million in base salary for 2009, while Kuhn, wide receiver Ruvell Martin, defensive back Jarrett Bush and defensive end/outside linebacker Jason Hunter all received the low tender.

“When (the Packers) tendered me at the low (level), I figured I would get a phone call from a couple of teams and it was great Arizona was one of them,” said Kuhn, who played for coach Ken Whisenhunt with Pittsburgh. “I would like for it to be (decided) as fast as possible because it’s one of those things it has to go back and be determined by the Packers, whether they match or not.”


http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/packers//441198

[aaprigs311]

Jason Taylor is probably a long shot, but I think we could bring back Holliday. He'd be a great fit at DE. We need depth. You would have thought TT had learned his lesson last season when he did nothing to bolster our thin group of defensive linemen. I don't even like Raji that much, but at this point if he's there at 9 it wouldn't be a bad idea. Our d-line is pathetic right now.