Morning Report: Jason Taylor to the Eagles?
The rumors already are spreading through Eagleville - that six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor will be traded from Miami to the Eagles.
The rumors already are spreading through Eagleville - that six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor will be traded from Miami to the Eagles.
It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
In his first interview with Florida reporters since appearing on the ABC-TV hit "Dancing with the Stars," Taylor seemed to be choosing his words carefully in a 30-minute question-and-answer session yesterday.
He denied widespread reports suggesting his side has demanded a trade but finally acknowledged what has been suspected for weeks: If Miami wants to move him, he won't argue.
"I want to win in '08. That's what I want to do," Taylor told the Associated Press. "And I've told the Dolphins from Day 1 that was my intention. My intentions right now are to play one more year. I've tried to give the Dolphins the opportunity, if they wanted to do something and move me, then I was OK with that. If they can get value for me, then do that. That was the conversation we had behind closed doors a long time ago."
On Saturday, the NFL Network reported that the Eagles, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Dallas have expressed an interest in Taylor.
The Dolphins clearly weren't happy that Taylor missed off-season workouts for "Dancing with the Stars." He'll miss another organized team activity day today, when he hosts a charity golf tournament to benefit his foundation, which works with children and is highly active in South Florida. He'll miss minicamp this weekend, too, for both his brother's graduation and an unspecified legal matter.
The Dolphins have not commented about Taylor since May 21 when new coach Tony Sparano said Taylor would not be with the team for any minicamps or training camp.
Taylor has spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Dolphins, winning defensive player of the year honors in 2006. But the Dolphins - who haven't made the playoffs in six seasons and haven't gotten past the divisional round since Taylor arrived - are rebuilding, once again.
Taylor's brother-in-law and longtime defensive teammate, Zach Thomas, was released in February and ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys. (Taylor yesterday called Thomas' departure disappointing.
"At 34 years old, you start to count your days a little more and cherish the days a little more," said Taylor, who turns 34 on Sept. 1. "I think that [president] Bill Parcells and Tony and [general manager] Jeff Ireland will be the right guys for the job. And how quickly this turns around here? I don't know. We'll see."
Fab Five? The Detroit Red Wings can win their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 seasons tonight when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at home.
Five players - Nicklas Lidstrom, Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Tomas Holmstrom, and Darren McCarty - have been on all four clubs.
Detroit has been in the playoffs 17 straight seasons, the longest current streak in North American pro sports.
Moving on. Kenny Perry, winner of the Memorial yesterday at Jack Nicklaus' Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, said he has no plans to play in the U.S. Open and will skip the 36-hole qualifier today.
Perry doesn't like Torrey Pines, the San Diego course that hosts the Open later this month, and figures he has a better chance to pile up Ryder Cup points elsewhere.