Taylor signed on for his third term with the Dolphins to provide a pass rush in obvious passing situations. Taylor is no longer the sack master he once was, but used properly he can still put heat on the quarterback.
The Jets are going to keep this simple - they just want Taylor to attack the pocket, early and often. A return to 10-plus sacks is possible given what's around Taylor on this unit.
It seems at this point in time that Taylor and Joey Porter will work out some kind of rotation at weak outside linebacker. This would seem to be a strange situation as both players excel at rushing the quarterback. Does this mean one would come off the field in pass rushing situations? Stay tuned to training camp for the final word.
It's hard to call a player with Taylor's impressive pedigree undervalued, but Taylor might be just that. In recent years, some likely assumed he was due for a fall because of his age (34 in September). That fall still hasn't happened. Taylor made 11 sacks last year on a terrible Miami team for his fifth double-digit sack total in his last six seasons, missing 10 sacks in 2004 by half a sack. Taylor's tackles peaked in the low-70s two years ago. He seems to be settling into the 55-60 range, which is just fine for a sack artist. Don't underestimate Taylor. He still has enough quickness to get around the edge, and his speed and range allow him to consistently track down ball carriers. He'll be playing opposite another talented defensive end in Andre Carter with the Redskins, which should do nothing but help Taylor's value.
Ho-hum, another 60 total tackles and double-digit sacks. Eight passes defended? He had nine in both 2004 and 2005. Must've been a down year. Not exactly. At 32, Taylor was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Those stats, including 13.5 sacks, are phenomenal enough, but when you add the two interceptions he returned for touchdowns, it truly was a special year. The funny thing is, those interceptions were not out of character for Taylor; he has four others in his career and always has strong pass-defend numbers. At 6-6, 255, Taylor is stringy for defensive end, but his body control, speed and quickness get him around the edge more often than not, and more often than most players: he's averaged nearly 13 sacks per year the past seven seasons. His closing ability and range not only help him reel in quarterbacks, but ball carriers of any stripe. His height and quickness help him tip passes and his ability to drop back into coverage like a 3-4 outside linebacker also helps with passes defended and interceptions. Miami re-signed both defensive tackles who eat up blockers next to him, Keith Traylor and Vonnie Holliday, so there's little reason to doubt that Taylor will continue to vie year for the top spot among IDP linemen.
Taylor pulled off some impressive feats in 2005. Not only did he play through a torn plantar fascia in his right foot, but after the diagnosis he logged five sacks in four games, including three against Oakland in Week 12. Not bad for a speed rusher who needs his legs in good shape. A week later, he hurt his right shoulder early but returned, playing with the shoulder in a harness, which is all the more impressive since he relies on his hands to keep linemen off his slightly small frame. He had enough left in the tank to register four more sacks through the rest of the year. In fact, through these challenging injuries, he actually set a career high in solo tackles. Taylor’s tackle numbers tend to be a touch below elite because he lacks the power base to smash through blocks and instead evades them, getting himself out of position some. He remains excellent in pursuit, however, plays with a high motor and clearly has one of the best first steps among linemen. In the past six years, his low is 8.5 sacks, but he’s reliable to hit double digits. If the tackle numbers don’t match Michael Strahan’s, his five career TDs and four picks are sensational compensation. In leagues that count passes defended and forced fumbles, Taylor gets more passes defended than most safeties and is perhaps the most prolific fumble forcer in the land.
A lot of things went wrong in Miami last year, and Taylor still came through, ranking 12th among linemen. Tackle Larry Chester went down with an ACL tear after two games, and complementary end Adewale Ogunleye forced a trade to Chicago, leaving Taylor with less help on the line. Taylor’s tackle numbers were steady – he’s typically in the 37–45 range – but his sacks dipped into single digits for the first time since 2001. For those in leagues that count them, he did set a career high in passes defended, with nine, and snagged an interception, showing great cover skills for a lineman. Which is important because new head coach Nick Saban may toy with a 3-4 alignment, putting Taylor at outside linebacker. He’d still be pass rushing, but would see more chances for tackles and coverage plays in that position. Taylor’s had four picks and has scored four touchdowns in the past six years, so he’s among the linemen most likely to pick up extra points in those categories. Moreover, Chester is progressing well after surgery, and the team signed Vonnie Holliday and Kevin Carter to enter the rotation at end. (One of them might be turned into a tackle, but regardless, Taylor gets more help.) The biggest caveat with Taylor is his age. He heads into the season at age 30, but hasn’t missed a game in five years.
After a slow start, Taylor finished the year with sacks in each of the last six games for a total of 9.5 during the run and 13 on the season. Not bad when your fantasy team's in its playoffs. Over the past four years, he's averaged 48 solo tackles, 13.8 sacks, four forced fumbles and 6.3 passes defended. Should fellow end Adewale Ogunleye not be traded or hold out, the pair form one of the most formidable end combos in the NFL, and Taylor won't see consistent double teams. With the same athleticism as Rice, it could easily be Taylor pulling down an interception or two in 2004.
Taylor's numbers and nonstop, relentless snap-to-whistle effort should have won him the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2002. He finished with 18.5 sacks, 46 solo tackles and two fumble recoveries. While Taylor probably won't repeat the career-high sack total – he had nine in 2001 and 14.5 in 2000, he's a good bet for 10-plus sacks and a good source of tackles from the pass rush-oriented defensive end position. Having Ogunleye Adewale (9.5 sacks) and massive DTs Larry Chester and Tim Bowens alongside him for another season, will only help.
