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cowace2 said 05/24, 09:24 PM
I'm going to tell you a story.

Many years ago, one of the NFL's best defensive players was coming off of his greatest season. His team had made the playoffs the season before, and had made it all the way to the Super Bowl a few years before.

This particular season, however, turned out to be one of the worst in franchise history. Our defensive end was still productive, but it seemed that nothing else on the team was working. They struggled to a 4-12 season, and our defensive end was very disgruntled.

"I want out" said the defensive end. "I want a chance to win a Super Bowl".

It wasn't to be, however. He had just signed a huge extension, and his team couldn't take the cap hit were they to trade him. Instead, he just stayed put, and the team rebuilt their defense around him. The next season, after a solid draft, his team was improved, but not that much...they finished 6-10.

The team got better fast, though. After this losing season, they started a run of 3 straight playoff seasons. At the end of the 3rd, they won one of the greatest Super Bowl victories of all time, with our star defensive end being a key contributor at age 36.

Who am I talking about?

cowace2 said 05/25, 12:41 AM
I was talking about Strahan, of course.

To me, Taylor is in a good situation in Miami. He is there with a new staff and a young team who needs veteran leadership, which is exactly what he should be providing. There is no reason to think he can't be effective 3-4 years down the line (as Strahan has been), at which point this team very well could be a playoff contender again. In the near term, he remains one of the best defensive players in the NFL, clearly a player that a defense can be built around.

I think there is also something to be said for athletes who make the decision to stay with one team their entire careers. Taylor is playing for a legendary franchise, for which he has put up (to this point at least) a Hall of Fame career. If I were in his position, I would do my best to help rebuild this team, which would cement my status as a legendary player on a legendary team, instead of just cutting and running.

That said, if Taylor wants to really help this team, he needs to get his head out, take charge as a leader, and show the young players how a classy veteran performs.

If he can't do that, he shouldn't be playing in the NFL anymore.

cowace2 said 05/25, 10:07 AM
Personally, I think Sparano has every right to feel aggreived. This is an unproven head coach taking over a 1-15 team. He's working under intense media scrutiny, not to mention the watchful eye of a legendary NFL coach.

At the least, Sparano deserves the right effort from his best veteran player. Instead, Taylor has spent his time on TV (not that big of a deal) and lied outright about his attendance of OTAs (a much bigger deal to me). He hasn't stepped into the role of a leader as he should have, choosing instead to take his ball and go home.

The reason I brought up the Strahan comparison is that Strahan was in the exact same position a few years ago. Instead of pressing his desire to leave (by not showing up to OTAs, etc), Strahan buckled down, took the defense under his wing, and rededicated his effort to get his team to the Super Bowl.

End result? The Giants developed a couple of superstar young defensive ends, won a Super Bowl due in large part to the play of their defensive ends, and more or less ensured Strahan's Hall of Fame entrance someday.

Why isn't Taylor willing to do this?