Parcells won't trade Jason Taylor to NE, he's not that stupid. If Taylor ask to be traded to a contender they'd ship him out to a contending team in the AFC long before they'd send him to NE.
I was hoping Taylor would end up playing rush OLB for NE in 2008, but I don't see it happening now.
I'm not sure Parcells would be quite as short sighted as you seem to be.
Unlike some fans, Parcells realizes that the Dolphins, even with Brown back next year - and yes, even with Taylor and Zach Thomas - it's unlikely the Dolphins are going to the Super Bowl next season....
Or the season after that.
That means that, yes - he is re-building a team.
And how do you do that in the NFL?
Cut payroll - draft for quantity hoping to find quality - and tap into free agency for quality depth guys that don't cost a ton of money.
How do you gain better draft picks? Trade down, and trade aging veteran players while they are still worth something. Guys like Taylor and Thomas are likely not going to be on your hopeful Super Bowl roster 3 + years from now. Keeping them might give you a better record next season - but you're still not a contender for the SB.
Parcells isn't really expecting to dethrone the Patriots next season. Or probably the next.
He'd let Taylor go for the best package available via trade - all things being equal, he'd prefer to have Taylor go elsewhere - but if I'm Parcells, knowing that Jason Taylor isn't going to be with the Patriots 4-5 years from now but the draft picks he might gain from the Pats likely would be, strategically it makes sense.
So if the Patriots wanted Taylor and offered the best possible package, I don't think I say "no" if I'm Parcells.
Taylor isn't without cards himself. He can't force a trade or force them to relinquish his rights - but he can retire outright.
So if you're Parcells, and have a choice between Taylor retiring and getting nothing for him - or trading him to a conference rival and getting something, knowing it's not going to affect your long-term goals - in fact, taking away a conference rival's draft picks actually helps you, you wouldn't do that WHY?