JT a bad fit in Miami? Not at all.

Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post has written a blog entry about Jason Taylor not being a good fit for the Dolphins. The full entry can be found here, but I've decided to give it the FJM treatment and respond to some of the statements made in this piece.

Thompson's comments in regular text, mine in bold. Here goes.

---

The New England Patriots want Jason Taylor.

But do the Dolphins?

Maybe. Probably, if the money's not crazy.

And if courting him becomes a tug o’ war between AFC East rivals, what would JT ultimately want?

A legitimate shot at a Super Bowl ring or a return to normalcy and a familiar fan base after a frustrating season spent in Washington D.C. away from his family and home?

How about: a return to normalcy, a familiar fan base and a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl ring?

But other than being close to his family and fan base of his first 11 NFL seasons, Taylor should be moving toward a deal with New England.

It’s his best chance to win now.

Yeah, because the Patriots went an impressive 11-5 last season. Meanwhile, the lowly Dolphins went a pathetic 11-5 last season.

Plus, JT and the Dolphins simply are not a good fit anymore.

Jason Taylor is a great player. He's a good fit on any team.

The Bill Parcells-led regime isn’t looking for things in a player that Taylor doesn’t offer:

1. Youth.

Taylor will be 35 next season, making him the oldest player on the roster at a position where youth routinely is served.

For the most part, the Dolphins are about youth. But that doesn't mean they aren't open to adding a veteran.

2. Buying into the Dolphins’ “culture.”

Taylor has made it clear he doesn’t live and breath football anymore. This is a healthy way to live, but not a selling point to Parcells.

And yet he wants to continue to play professional football for the Dolphins...

But more important than any of this might be the fact Taylor plays the same position Joey Porter. Playing with JT led to a miserable 2007 season for J-Peezy, who had 17 1/2 sacks without Taylor and 5 1/2 with him on the field.

This is Porter’s defense.

Thankfully for everyone involved, the 3-4 scheme (or any scheme, really) utilizes two outside linebackers. Matt Roth is the one that needs to worry, not Joey Porter. Plus, at his age Taylor would more than likely be part of a rotation and not an every-down player.

Also, here's a quote from Porter circa yesterday on Jason Taylor, courtesy of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

"But I love Jason. He can't do anything, but help us. If there's a way we can get him back, we want him back."

Taylor also would come in expecting to be a locker room leader, a role currently filled by Chad Pennington.

Is this really an argument? Could anyone in their right mind even imagine problem between Chad Pennington and Jason Taylor, of all people, in the locker room?

Up to this point, Parcells and Co. have given every indication they’re moving on from the ways of the past.

The Dolphins traded Taylor because he had a huge salary and got a great deal in return. Not because they had no use for him and never wanted him back.

Looking to rekindle the Jason Taylor of 2006, when he dominated the game and won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, doesn’t seem to fit the plan.

But to stay the course, the Dolphins most likely are going to have to play JT twice next season.

More like every day, in practice.