Despite rumblings from NFL.com's Vic Carucci, nothing has surfaced in regards to the New England Patriots acquiring Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers. In fact, Carucci's fellow NFL.com columnist Adam Schefter reported that there was "a 99.9 percent chance that Peppers won't be a Patriot." Schefter's report came on WEEI in Boston, less than a full 24 hours after Carucci's announcement regarding Peppers.
So as time wears on and the possibilities of Peppers landing in Foxboro begin to slim, one has to look to other options as a defensive end/linebacker to replace Mike Vrabel. One option that has been discussed heavily during the off-season is former Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor.
Taylor is well known as a former Dolphin, who terrorized Patriots offensive linemen and quarterbacks for eleven years in Miami. In his eleven years with the Dolphins, Taylor recorded less than eight sacks only three times. His consistency and intensity was never called into question, until Bill Parcells took over the Dolphins' front office in 2008. Parcells questioned Taylor's off-season regiment of joining ABC's Dancing with the Stars and cavorting with celebrities and dignitaries.
Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins in the summer of 2008. Taylor suffered a knee injury in the preseason, causing him participate in only thirteen games, his lowest total since his rookie season in 1997. When he was released by the Redskins on March 2, the move was done to save cap space, but also to cut ties with a player who struggled mightily in his one season in the nation's capital.
Taylor recorded only 29 tackles, his lowest total of his career, and 3.5 sacks, his lowest since 1999. At 34 years old, Taylor is no spring chicken. However, he has always been a player that Bill Belichick has had his eye on. Belichick loved Taylor's intensity and he cringed at playing Taylor twice a year while he was in Miami.
What the Patriots need to ask themselves is; is Taylor's age and recent history with injuries a cause for alarm? Taylor isn't getting any younger, and to be frank, he's not getting any better. He's not going to come close to his 2002 season, when he recorded 18.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Meanwhile, Julius Peppers is peaking. He's 29 years old and coming off of a monster year. He has made it clear that he wants out of Carolina by any means necessary, and that the Patriots are among the top of his list for potential destinations. For all intents and purposes, its the perfect match of player and team. The one quaggmire could be Carolina's asking price.
This brings us to who is a better deal? Taylor would likely sign a one-year deal with a base salary around $2.5 million, loaded with performance-based incentives. It's the same deal the Patriots struck in 2001 with Roman Phifer and again in 2007 with Junior Seau. As a veteran, Taylor commands respect and attention on the field and in the locker room. He would be a great addition to the strongest-knit group of players in the NFL.
Acquiring Peppers would likely cost the Patriots a 2nd-round pick (34th overall) and possibly a late-round pick. Also, his current $16.85 million contract would unquestionably be restructured. However, even if his deal is cut down to something along the lines of four years, $40 million, making a deal for Peppers would unquestionably signal the end of the Richard Seymour era in Foxboro. The Patriots have already made clear their intentions to lock up defensive tackle Vince Wilfork to a long-term deal, and in doing so they would have extra money to lock up Jarvis Green and Seymour.
Essentially, the Patriots have the option of one year of Jason Taylor and a long-term deal with Richard Seymour or one year of Richard Seymour and a long-term deal with Julius Peppers. What they decide will be the best move for the franchise now and in the long run is still to be determined. One way or another, the Patriots defense, which has already vastly improved, will be exponentially better in 2009, be it with Taylor or Peppers.
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