Super Bowl contenders with Taylor and Haynesworth?

[Brando19]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/36478404.html

Good article. Hope TT makes one of these moves. Both is absolutely unrealistic.

[Bretsky]

My favorite part

The added bonus with Taylor is if the Packers do fire Sanders and bring in a coordinator that uses a more multiple scheme

[steve823]

Tayler = no

Haynesworth = holy crap wow oh wow oh my god YES

[swede]

A phrase I liked from the article:

"...the monotone Packers..."

Unfortunately, from a fan's perspective, that is a big problem with this team. Can't we have a little pizzazz on the field without having players that shoot themselves or others in nightclubs?

A little head-stomping on the field might be a welcome change of pace.

[bobblehead]

I'll take the head stomper in a heartbeat. I dread the thought of giving him holy shit money and then him pulling a moss and thinking he proved all he needs to prove, but the bottom line is this. He is pretty much the best inside player in the game, he fills a desperate need, and he is in his prime and should be a rockstar for a 5 year contract if he wants too.

If we give him the keys to the city I won't cry even though I hate the idea of blowing the cap on guys who did it in another system. But if we do sign him for funny money and he flops will all the people who bash TT for not using FA give him a pass??

[Guiness]

$8mil eh? I can see where the 'Skins would not want to pay that. He says he knows he's not worth that much - would he be willing to renegotiate and stay there? Or would he force them to release him. I guess it depends if he likes it there or not.

He's had a long enough career, and has his money. You have to wonder, the same as many did last year, how much desire he has left. Would he even be willing to suit up for $3-4 million, which is all I can see a guy who's 34, and had two surgeries last season earning.

[texaspackerbacker]

Jason Taylor? Come on. He ain't worth crap. I read the first post and thought it meant Fred Taylor.

And get off the Sanders-hate already. That's just plain stupid. The defensive problems OBVIOUSLY stem from the plethora of injuries. With any other scheme, things would have been infinitely worse.

Rather than inject a political analogy here, I will just say, check out the thread I'm about to start in the Romper Room.

[RashanGary]

No way to Jason Taylor. He's 34. KGB was 30 when he got injured. This guy is never going to get back from those knee surgeries.

Hayensworth on the other hand, he's a 27 year old DT that is the best in the game at his position. He would instantly make Kampman better. Jenkins would be better. Jolly and Pickett would be better. Any young guys (draft, Jeremy Thompson or Harrell) that show improvements will look better. The linebackers will look better. The secondary will look better. He instantly changes that entire defense IMO. Pat Williams isn't as good, but I look forward to this weekend to see what a really good DT being out of their lineup will do.

[DonHutson]

A few thoughts on Taylor:

1) I was in favor of taking a shot on him last off-season, at the right price - and the right price was less than what the Redskins paid.

2) Now he's a year older at 34, and the guy who has rarely been injured is coming off a year that was plagued by injury. Not a promising trend.

3) Yeah, young Dolphins players may have walked through walls for the guy. But he was in Miami for a decade. He comes in here as another over the hill player fighting for a job. Reputation doesn't translate into leadership nearly as well as personal interaction, so to assume he would step right in and be a leader is a bit presumptuous. Might happen, but not automatic.

4) It is very refreshing to see an older player openly admit he's not worth the money he's making.

5) I'd still be open to bringing him in, at the right price. But that price is even lower now. Working in his favor is the fact that there are no impact pass rushers available in FA - including him, but he's probably going to the guy teams look at first.

6) The long term solution for the Packers pass rush will need to be found in the draft. Several promising DE's are available this year, and most should be available where the Packers are going to be picking. Taylor, if acquired, would be a supplement or stop-gap.

[RashanGary]

6) The long term solution for the Packers pass rush will need to be found in the draft. Several promising DE's are available this year, and most should be available where the Packers are going to be picking. Taylor, if acquired, would be a supplement or stop-gap.

Agreed. There are a bunch of pass rush specialists in the draft this year that could be had with an early 2nd round pick. I don't really want a pass rush specialist though. There is one guy, Everette Brown, at the top of the draft that can do everything. I'd poopy myself if we added Hayensworht and then drafted the stud DE.

[DonHutson]

I don't really want a pass rush specialist though.

I totally agree, but the 280+ pound DE that can get after the QB AND stuff the run is virtually non-existant now days. When they can be found they tend to go #1 over all (Williams, Peppers - and they were selected that high merely on their potential to do both).

So I want the best pass rusher we can get. If he can't play the run, so be it. We'll take him out on run downs. I'm just sick to death of seeing opposing QB's with forever to throw on 3rd and long (and every other down).

To me, ability play the run would be far less important than finding a guy with a variety of moves, and strength to go with speed/quickness. No one trick pony speed guys that will get swatted away by an NFL caliber tackle.

I haven't watched Florida State play this year. If Brown is that good, then so be it. They need somebody.

[MJZiggy]

General manager Ted Thompson kicked the tires on a possible Taylor trade in the off-season but never made an offer. In retrospect, it was a disastrous non-move. Taylor could have helped the Packers in the two areas that ultimately led the team to their doom this season: pass rush and veteran leadership.

"But at the end of the day, I'll be the first to tell you, I stink right now. I need to play better. I need to get comfortable and play better."

A knee injury nearly ended his season in the exhibition season. Then Taylor got kicked in the calf and an ensuing infection necessitated two surgeries.

He's missed four games and is on pace to set career lows in tackles (25) and sacks (1.5). Taylor who has correctly called himself "hardheaded" over the course of his career, likely returned too fast from both injuries. But he's not one to make excuses.

Yes, Greg, I see your point on why it was a disastrous non-move, especially considering he may be available again and he himself doesn't believe he's worth the money he's currently making...

[RashanGary]

I don't really want a pass rush specialist though.

I totally agree, but the 280+ pound DE that can get after the QB AND stuff the run is virtually non-existant now days. When they can be found they tend to go #1 over all (Williams, Peppers - and they were selected that high merely on their potential to do both).

So I want the best pass rusher we can get. If he can't play the run, so be it. We'll take him out on run downs. I'm just sick to death of seeing opposing QB's with forever to throw on 3rd and long (and every other down).

To me, ability play the run would be far less important than finding a guy with a variety of moves, and strength to go with speed/quickness. No one trick pony speed guys that will get swatted away by an NFL caliber tackle.

I haven't watched Florida State play this year. If Brown is that good, then so be it. They need somebody.

I agree. Everette Brown is also "undersized" by that standard, but Kampman, Osi and Strahan are tiny by that standard too. He reminds me of Kamp, Strahan type. I'm a huge fan of his. There are a bunch of KGB types that are undersized and play undersized because they're lenky and can't play with leverage. Everette Brown is the undersized guy that plays with leverage and has a knack for keeping the Olines hands off his body.

[DonHutson]

Everette Brown is the undersized guy that plays with leverage and has a knack for keeping the Olines hands off his body.

I guess we'll get to see him up close and personal in the Whatever-the-Hell Bowl the Badgers are in. Hopefully he'll make just enough plays to lose the game and end up 10th in the draft.

[Pugger]

A phrase I liked from the article:

"...the monotone Packers..."

Unfortunately, from a fan's perspective, that is a big problem with this team. Can't we have a little pizzazz on the field without having players that shoot themselves or others in nightclubs?

A little head-stomping on the field might be a welcome change of pace.

Yes, we don't need thugs but we could use a little nastiness, especially on both of our lines...