Breer: Pats were counting on J. Taylor joining them

[BradyManny]

Breer was on the Boston Sports Show yesterday and said that the Pats were anticipating Jason Taylor signing with them, and that he was going to, until circumstances in his life changed. He said he is worried about the OLB depth on this squad b/c the Pats were really penciling him in at the position.

Meanwhile, Lobel reported that someone "high up in the Patriots" told him this is the most talented team they've ever fielded. The insinuation was that it came from Kraft himself, or someone nearing Kraft's level. I'll agree with that, and disagree with Breer's counter that OLB is too much of an unknown.

 

[maverick4]

I agree it's the most stacked Pats team ever. This team will be hard to stop this year in the playoffs, especially with a new coordinator.

I don't believe Breer. There was never a strong indication that Taylor was a sure thing, and BB wouldn't just leave things to chance like that.
It's more likely that he really likes either Crable or Woods.

 

[BradyManny]

I agree it's the most stacked Pats team ever. This time will be hard to stop this year in the playoffs, especially with a new coordinator.

I don't believe Breer. There was never a strong indication that Taylor was a sure thing, and BB wouldn't just leave things to chance like that.
It's more likely that he really likes either Crable or Woods.

I concur.

Plus, we can't forget TBC, he will factor in if he makes the team. This team was the flu & a couple botched calls from making it to the SB in 2006 with TBC playing OLB.

Crable turning to a pass rushing beast this season would certainly help the cause. He may have it in him.

 

[Deus Irae]

I was counting on Taylor, too.

 

[PatsChamp88]

I concur.

Plus, we can't forget TBC, he will factor in if he makes the team. This team was the flu & a couple botched calls from making it to the SB in 2006 with TBC playing OLB.

Crable turning to a pass rushing beast this season would certainly help the cause. He may have it in him.

I do think that people are continuing to over look TBC (looks are Woods threads). 1/2 Taylor's isn't bad

 

[tobias funke]

Jason Taylor is just a name at this point. What if he signed and then had a terrible season again? What if he got injured again? Who cares about Jason Taylor.

 

[edzo44]

"We'll play with the players that are here - - - not with the ones that might have been."

That's the BB philosophy.

Dead issue.

 

[patsfan13]

V Redd is my binky and TC suprise this year..

 

[APatrioticVirginian]

I agree it's the most stacked Pats team ever. This team will be hard to stop this year in the playoffs, especially with a new coordinator.

I don't believe Breer. There was never a strong indication that Taylor was a sure thing, and BB wouldn't just leave things to chance like that.
It's more likely that he really likes either Crable or Woods.

I agree with you the Taylor thing seems overplayed, I just doubt they were living and dying on twinkle toes Taylor.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Jason Taylor is just a name at this point. What if he signed and then had a terrible season again? What if he got injured again? Who cares about Jason Taylor.

Agreed. How would we have lined up with Taylor? He showed in Washington that he flat-out can't play SOLB (honestly dunno what they saw in him that ever made them think he could- even in his prime that would have been a bad fit), so would we have moved Thomas to SOLB and penciled Taylor in opposite him? Does putting Thomas in coverage on TEs all the time like that really improve our pass rush? On the net I'd say yes, since we'd have a stronger threat from SOLB just to keep things a little more unpredictable, but people who were expecting two double-digit sacks guys off the edges would be awfully disappointed when Thomas came in with considerably less than that. Then we'd have to spend all of next offseason hearing about how Thomas has underperformed because he isn't getting a ton of sacks and is washed up (since rushing the passer is clearly all that OLBs do).

 

[patriot lifer]

It's more likely that he really likes either Crable or Woods.

I think he sees Woods like James Sanders. They won't be spectacular, but they are reliable.

 

[Rob0729]

I really think that was a rare Belichick miscalculation. All indications were that Taylor was coming to New England and that might have cooled the Pats on either acquiring another OLB in free agency, via trade, or higher in the draft. I wonder if he knew what he knows now, he would have made a stronger effort to get a Peppers trade done or to trade away Vrabel. It may not have changed his decision at all.

I think he is probably hoping they can pry Derrick Burgess away from the Raiders, but Al Davis can be very vendictive even to his own team's detriment (just ask Marcus Allen). I still think the OLB position opposite AD is the biggest single position question mark this team has right now. I am still am not confident that Woods or TBC can step up to be the full time starter and produce at least average.

 

[tobias funke]

Belichick miscalculates all the time.

Like at the end of the Super Bowl when he miscalculated how much time was left.

Or like at the end of the Super Bowl when he went for it on 4th and 13.

The guy is human and probably realizes it more than anyone else. That's why I find it hard to believe that he was "expecting" Jason Taylor to sign. The guy basically lives by the phrase 'dont count your chickens'.

And keep in mind that there are a lot of veterans who go into the offseason with the specific goal in mind of completely avoiding the grind of training camp. If this team is going to add any pass rushers, it's probably going to be in August, or maybe even after week 1, when vested veterans no longer apply.

 

[State]

What circumstances changed in Taylor's life? Oh, yeah. He looked out the window and saw his boat bobbing in the South Florida seas. That must be it.

I was counting on Taylor, too, but I don't think now it was ever going to happen. It's all about his lifestyle, I guess.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Unless there is some unlikely move in the next couple of weeks, there's no point speculating. We'll know very early in the season, and maybe in the preseason, whether these concerns were proven right or wrong.

 

[patchick]

All indications were that Taylor was coming to New England and that might have cooled the Pats on either acquiring another OLB in free agency, via trade, or higher in the draft.

It's absolutely possible that they were counting on Taylor and that he messed up their plans by changing his mind. Not every outcome is part of BB's "grand plan."

But...I don't think their draft approach would have been affected either way. You don't draft an OLB conversion project expecting day 1 impact, and conversely you don't not draft a developmental project because you've penciled in a vet for a final season's swan song.

 

[Bartmac36]

Taylor would have seemed to have been a big boost on paper, but I don't know if his age/lack of motivation would have made him any more helpful than Willie...I think Peppers would have been the only move that would have made me feel confident...

 

[Mike the Brit]

Breer is a good reporter and the story makes complete sense. But the great thing about BB is that he is completely forward-looking.

So, who cared about Jason Taylor? I did. Am I worried about the OLB position? Yes, but I know that BB is taking care of it.

 

[Urgent]

It's perfectly believable that the Patriots targeted Taylor and planned to add him to the defense. The Patriots have often targeted a player they like during the off-season, and probably have a priority list. The top of that priority list has frequently been an OLB - Thomas and Colvin are the two largest free agent moves the Pats have made.

I'm not sure that the Taylor relationship prevented the Patriots from going after anyone else - they may well have assigned values to all the available OLB's, and not liked the value of anyone else, as has often been the case in the draft as well.

 

[BradyManny]

But...I don't think their draft approach would have been affected either way. You don't draft an OLB conversion project expecting day 1 impact, and conversely you don't not draft a developmental project because you've penciled in a vet for a final season's swan song.

Exactly.

On a related note, I do find it interesting that they put in a claim for Jarmon. We would've had to put in a 2nd rounder to beat the Skins out for him, which would've never happened. But nonetheless, Jarmon must've at least been on their board, which apparently none of the OLB prospects in the April draft really were.

A Taylor signing, much like trading for Burgess, would give some peace of mind, but not necessarily provide better results than what we have.