Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady share a friendship, injury-filled disappointing 2008 seasons and, until the Dolphins traded Taylor to Washington in 2008, status as their teams' signature players. They could've shared a locker room this season.
Instead, they just share the AFC East (again) and a renaissance. And Brady wishes it weren't so.
``I was a little disappointed when he signed back [with the Dolphins],'' Brady said only half-jokingly. ``I thought that once he left for Washington I'd never have to play him again.''
Nobody's sacked Brady more -- ``That's because I have played him a lot of times,'' Taylor said -- and it's a given that if the Dolphins don't crowd Brady's workspace Sunday, he'll strafe the Dolphins as mercilessly as he did Tennessee (59-0) and Tampa Bay (35-7).
Asked if he thought Brady was back from the knee injury that wiped out his 2008 season, Taylor replied, ``I never thought he went anywhere. I know he got hurt and couldn't play for a while, but as far as I was concerned, he was never anybody different.''
It could also be asked if the pre-2007 Jason Taylor, the annual Pro Bowler counted on to blow up offenses, is back. The first five games, Taylor looked closer to being a try-hard 35-year-old former defensive end who won the strongside linebacker starting job via training camp walkover.
HIS OLD SELF
Then, over the past two games, against New Orleans and the Jets, Taylor picked up two sacks, two fumbles forced, one pass batted down, and one fumble recovered and run back for his NFL-record sixth fumble return touchdown.
``He's back to his usual playing style and he's playing great football, leads the team in sacks,'' Brady said. ``When he makes plays, the entire team rallies around it. We have to try to do a good job of trying to keep him out of the backfield and certainly keeping him out of the end zone. He was in the end zone last week after the fumble recovery [against the Jets], and he's been in the end zone a couple other times versus us.''
That's why the Patriots, experts at wringing the last good years out of veteran players, called Taylor when Washington cut him. How much chance the Patriots had of signing Taylor is questionable.
Part of the reason Washington released Taylor was he wanted to spend the offseason in South Florida with his wife and three kids instead of with the Redskins offseason program. Anyone who knows how much Taylor wants to be a good father knew he didn't like being a pop-in papa during the 2008 season, when he would fly down from the Washington area during off days.
That gave the Dolphins a leg up on the Patriots -- if they wanted Taylor, that is. Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said on April 3 the Dolphins would consider signing Taylor but had to consider whether Taylor would be a ``progress stopper'' for younger players.
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