Are Jason Taylor's Days Numbered in Miami?

It’s looking increasingly likely that Jason Taylor will be dancing with a new partner next season.

While the Miami Dolphins star made sweet music with Edyta Sliwinska on the way to a runner-up finish in Dancing with the Stars, things aren’t going as harmoniously with his team.

Rumors were rampant during draft weekend that Taylor would be traded, and while it didn’t happen then, it looks very likely that it will happen sooner rather than later, as Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said on Wednesday that the six-time Pro Bowler won’t be at any minicamps or training camps.

I can imagine that Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland, and Tony Sparano might prefer that Taylor is more around Miami instead of trying to tango his way into America’s hearts or kickstart his movie career, or they may well just be jealous that he’s a much better dancer than they could ever be.

And I can also understand if they might rather he be around because he’s a team leader, because he’s one of the key pieces of the team, and they may want to have those key guys around while they’re in the middle of the familiarization process.

I can also understand that it doesn’t matter what he’s done in the past 11 seasons of what will be a Hall of Fame career, that they think he still needs to be a complete part of the program, even if the word ‘voluntary’ is attached to the current workouts.

But, he cannot apologize for being a good-looking man (not a personal opinion, just stating facts) and having talents outside of his athletic abilities, and that he might have a blockbuster family/action/comedy/drama movie in the near future. Blame his parents for having such a gifted child, if you’re going to blame someone!

Okay, where was I? This is a football blog, not a celebrity gossip one.

Maybe it’s just that they know that South Florida’s George Selvie will be there for the taking with their top-10 or top-5 pick in the 2009 draft (if he decides to forgo his senior season).

Should the two sides be burning their bridges with one another right now though? It’s not like Taylor is an off-field distraction, that he’s getting in trouble with the law or messing around with the wrong crowd. In fact, he’s the opposite of that (2007 Walter Payton Man of the Year).

However, this isn’t to say that Taylor is a saint or that he’s not at least a little culpable in this situation - The Phinsider is saying that, per Taylor’s agent’s comments to the Dolphins, that Taylor wants to be traded and won’t be reporting to training camp, a la Chad Johnson (though if that’s the case, then he’s certainly going about it a lot quieter than Ocho Cinco did - still, many ‘Fins fans, including Matty I himself, are none too happy that it looks like Taylor is saying he wants out privately, but saying he’s a part of the program publicly).

But, if the Tuna and Co. don’t think he’s in line with what they want to do, then hey, I guess they control his destiny - well, unless he retires, which I don’t expect, at least at this point.

In the end, the Dolphins could be both parties a favor if they trade him. There are plenty of contenders out there who might see Taylor as their missing link. He’s 33, and will be 34 in September, but he’s coming off of a season where he had double-digit sacks for the sixth time in the last eight seasons, and he also made his sixth Pro Bowl in that span, in a season in which he was one of the few bright, bright spots on a team that wasn’t very good.

If they don’t want him, and he doesn’t want to be there, then they could get some good (well, at least half-decent) value for him, and he could go and play for a team that’s winning already and not in the process of rebuilding.

Who knows - he could end up in Dallas with his best bud Zach Thomas. The Cowboys have two sack machines in DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis, along with a budding one in Anthony Spencer, but they don’t have that elite player at defensive end (Chris Canty and Marcus Spears are good players, but Jason Taylor, well, he’s good times ten).

The Redskins could also be a potential suitor - they’ve got Andre Carter (10.5 sacks in 2007) at right end, but Carter could move to left end, where he excelled in college at Cal.

Who else could be in play? Would the Dolphins trade him to an AFC team? If so, could the Pittsburgh Steelers be in play? What about the Cleveland Browns? Both could use an upgrade at right end.

Where will Taylor end up? Will he end up falling in line and being a part of the new-look Dolphins? Or is it only a matter of time before he’s two-stepping his way to a new city?