The Prodigal Sack Artist: Can Jason Taylor Recapture His Mojo in Miami

Last offseason, it was a humbling, if lucrative, two step for Jason Taylor out of Miami—the only home the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year had known as a professional football player.

The notoriously unsentimental Bill Parcells, then incoming Miami Dolphins executive vice-president and Taylor’s harshest Dancing with the Stars critic, provided the team’s all-time sack leader with a swift hop in the ass out of Dolphinville.

Fortunately for the 34 year-old Taylor, his landing was cushioned by a huge pile of Daniel Snyder’s Redskin money. But money cannot buy happiness, or health (or, in Snyder’s case, wins). Alas, Taylor spent a miserable 2008 season playing in the nation’s capitol half gimpy for the half-limpy `Skins, totaling just 3.5 sacks, while the Dolphins wildcatted their way from 1-15 to 11-5 and the AFC East title.

Now Taylor is back in South Florida. Did he bring his mojo with him? Let’s see what he has to say.

Q: Took a $7 million pay cut to come back home—in this economy!—you must really love your family or you’re certifiable. Which is it?

Q: There was an “Oh, the humanity!” crash and burn to the 2007 Dolphins—a 1-15 sweet-dreams-and-flying-machines-in-pieces-on-the-ground kinda season. And last year, you were literally a fish-out-of-water in Washington. True, you were getting paid, but how awful was it to be injured for a mediocre team while the Dolphins prospered mightily—and without you? In the midnight hour, what does that do to your ego?

Q: When you left, there was sort of a Tony Montana, “say-good-bye-to-the-bad-guy” vibe going on. What about putting your reputation back intact down here—as a pass rusher and as a Dolphin?

Q: Are you and the Tuna cool? After the Dolphins' success last year, how high did your respect jump for Parcells? The early-80s Giants, the Pats, the Jets, the Cowboys, and now the Dolphins, is he the ultimate quick change artist?

Q: How close were you to joining the Patriots in the offseason? What would it be like playing for Belichek?

Q: In leaving Washington, you missed out on lining up with Albert Haynesworth. It seems his presence could have done a lot for your game. Regrets?

Q: The Porter/Taylor 2007 combo was nothing special. How’s it going to be different for the 2009 version?

Q: How weird is it going to be wearing the aqua and orange with no Zach Thomas?

Q: There‘s talk you‘ll see maybe 15-20 plays a game. With that, what‘s a good sack number for you?

Q: If you could do last offseason over, what would be different?