Could Jason Taylor end up in Kansas City?

[brent102fire]

With the recent signing of Zach Thomas, is it possible Zach Thomas and the Chiefs could go after Jason Taylor too? The Chiefs only had 10 sacks last year, so almost anyone would be an upgrade. Zach and Jason have a long history together and Pioli has been known to sign other teams' castaways. What are the chances? I'm sure Zach would like to play with his brother-in-law again.

[Mr. Krab]

Originally Posted by BryanBusby

Get a link as I've never heard that. If he was expecting that kind of bank, he would of remained in Washington instead of asking to be released. He actually requested to be let go because he felt that he wasn't earning his contract.

Dude, i'm totally screwed up. It was peppers i was thinking of

=====================

If Peppers wants out, pay cut best bet

By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports 10 hours, 44 minutes ago

The word “sacrifice” is chronically overused in sports. It’s akin to college kids having to make really rough choices on a Friday night.
Do I get the pizza or buy the six-pack?

So when the idea of sacrifice is broached in regard to Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, the collective eye roll of America’s football-loving public might be strong enough to affect gravity. But there’s the choice, a “sacrifice” as it were, that Peppers must make if he really wants what he says he wants: out of Carolina.


Peppers was fifth in the league
with 14½ sacks in ’08.

(Bob Donnan/US Presswire)

In order to facilitate that, he most likely must take less money than he would earn with the Panthers. A lot less. In fact, probably enough that a graph of his portfolio would resemble the past six months at AIG or Jim Cramer’s approval ratings over the past two weeks.

Here’s a quick rundown: Peppers is due to make $16.8 million this year after being tagged by Carolina as its franchise player. Furthermore, if Peppers signs the one-year tender, doesn’t agree to a long-term deal with Carolina and is franchised again next year, he’s eyeing $20.16 million – minimum.

For those who don’t add quickly, that’s potentially $36.96 million for two seasons. That also follows the $13.9 million that he made in 2008 with Carolina (potentially $50.86 million over three years without a new long-term deal).

The $39.96 million is a particularly important number because it figures to be the starting point for the guaranteed money in a long-term deal sought by Peppers’ agent/close friend Carl Carey. Given the reported seven-year, $100 million deal that Albert Haynesworth signed three weeks ago with Washington, which included $41 million in guarantees, you can quickly see where Peppers is going as he enters the eighth year of his career and is coming off a career-high 14½ sacks.

Or not going, as it were.

“You have the idea right on the contract,” said an NFL source with knowledge of what Peppers wants.

“Julius wants to be paid just like everybody else,” a source close to Peppers said. “He thinks he’s better than [Minnesota defensive end] Jared Allen or Haynesworth or [Indianapolis defensive end Dwight] Freeney. Why shouldn’t he want that? Heck, why shouldn’t he say what he’s already said. He wants to win.”

The problem is that Peppers only wants to win in certain places. He wants to go to a team that plays a 3-4 defense so he can play outside linebacker. The New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys are apparently among five teams on his wish list.

The idea of Peppers going to the Patriots has created a great buzz, but it’s almost completely unrealistic.

Would New England coach Bill Belichick love to have Peppers on his defense? Absolutely! And it’s not that the Patriots can’t afford to get Peppers. It’s what he would do to the rest of their team’s salary structure.

After this season, defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork come up for new deals. So does Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins. But here’s the real sticky situation: After the 2010 season, quarterback Tom Brady does too. Brady will be 33 and, assuming he recovers from injury as expected, will still have plenty of good years left. Furthermore, Brady took a relatively team-friendly deal of six years, $60 million before the 2005 season. Don’t expect Brady, who will make $5.3 million in base salary and bonus this season and $6.5 million in 2010, to come nearly as cheap this time … especially if the Patriots give Peppers the kind of mega-deal Brady wants.

Subsequently, expect the Patriots to go after 34-year-old Jason Taylor in the coming weeks rather than trade for Peppers.

There’s speculation whether Peppers is willing to take less money for a “better” situation, but let’s look at this from a practical standpoint. Any guy who is looking at $36.96 million over the next two years isn’t taking $40 million for four.

The situation is the same for Peppers in Dallas, where the Cowboys are wrestling with what it’s going to cost to sign DeMarcus Ware to a long-term deal. Ware, another one of the league’s premier pass rushers, has 53½ sacks in his first four seasons, including 20 in 2008 and 34 over the past two.

That total of 34 is double what Peppers has had the past two seasons because Peppers slumped to 2½ sacks in 2007. Still, he’s demanding a top-of-the-market deal and has the one-year tender numbers working in his behalf.

Not working in his favor is that most 3-4 teams don’t believe in

overpaying for that outside linebacker spot if they can avoid it. Pittsburgh has gotten by for years with keeping the price down at outside linebacker, going from Greg Lloyd to Joey Porter to now James Harrison while keeping cost down.

That’s why Peppers will have to make a “sacrifice.” If he really wants to play for the Pats or Cowboys, he’ll take a lot less money.

In other words, he’s not playing for the Pats for Cowboys.

Other 3-4 teams either don’t go after high-end talents like Peppers (cross Pittsburgh off the list) or would have to do some serious shifting of their roster (Cleveland and San Diego) to make it happen.

More likely, Peppers will have to be willing to work things out in Carolina, where he has his best chance to win. If he really wants out the way he says, there are only a handful of 3-4 teams that can afford him, such as the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.

While each of those teams is interesting, are any of them that much better than Carolina?

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Parcells booted him out of MIA, wouldn't that be indicitave of his attitude?

Same as Tony Gs?

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by PhillyChiefFan

so...what happened to that whole "youth movement" thing?

The youth we moved in played out more like a bowel movement...

[chiefzilla1501]

No.

Zach Thomas, Vrabel and Goff weren't signed because the Chiefs are trying to win now. It's because they all play stopgap positions.

The point of a stopgap is to plug a veteran in for a quick 1-2 year fix. We don't even know if Taylor can provide that, given that he's never worked in a 3-4 before.

[DaWolf]

Originally Posted by Gravedigger

We can go from the youngest team in the NFL to the oldest within one year. We deserve a cookie for that!

Doesn't matter if you are able to replace these guys by next year. If these guys are the cornerstone of your franchise, that's when you get screwed...

[Micjones]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

No.

Zach Thomas, Vrabel and Goff weren't signed because the Chiefs are trying to win now. It's because they all play stopgap positions.

The point of a stopgap is to plug a veteran in for a quick 1-2 year fix. We don't even know if Taylor can provide that, given that he's never worked in a 3-4 before.

This.

Each of these signings should be followed up with drafted players at the same positions who can take over in 1-2 seasons when the vets are gone.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Micjones

This.

Each of these signings should be followed up with drafted players at the same positions who can take over in 1-2 seasons when the vets are gone.

Exactly. This is something that we NEVER did under the DV era, which is why Herm Edwards was left with crap. Combine that with his shitty coaching and you get the Chiefs teams of the past 2 seasons.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

No.

Zach Thomas, Vrabel and Goff weren't signed because the Chiefs are trying to win now. It's because they all play stopgap positions.

The point of a stopgap is to plug a veteran in for a quick 1-2 year fix. We don't even know if Taylor can provide that, given that he's never worked in a 3-4 before.

errr....he was DPOY under Nick Saban, who was at least doing a 3-4 hybrid, right? I don't honestly remember what Saban was running, but he's a BB disciple.

Rumor is Pats are interested in him, as are the fins. My bet is that he goes to one of those two. More likely teh Pats, if he's willing to sign for reasonable $$$.

I only see him joining the Chiefs if they offer far and away the most moeny, and I can't see why they'd do that for someone of his age.

[cardken]

Originally Posted by SNR

The AFCEastification of the Chiefs continues...

And the problem with this is....?
2008 Regular Season
AFC
East 36-26
West 23-42
Any Questions?