Taylor wants to play in 2008 but 2009 another story

On April 1, website profootballtalk.com celebrated the foolishness of the day by posting a spoof basically saying Jason Taylor was retiring from football because he had been bitten by the show business bug and wanted to devote his life to dance.

Within hours of the post, several Dolphins players, who apparently think everything the site posts is gospel, were either calling Taylor or sending text messages seeking confirmation of the so-called news.

Taylor eventually answered saying the “rumor mill” post was not true – what a shock – and he had every intention of playing in 2008.

BUT…

In those very responses Taylor also told his teammates and friends that he could not and would not guarantee playing in 2009, which is scheduled to be the final year of his current contract.

Taylor, you see, has every intention of going into show business very soon. He has been pleasantly surprised by his ongoing success on Dancing with the Stars. His cha-cha was rewarded with another week of life on the show Tuesday night. He believes he's gotten more attention and will have more business opportunities based on that show's run than he got all these past years as a Dolphin.

Taylor’s intentions to seek Hollywood movie or TV fame are not new. What is new is the shifting of his priorities between football and show business.

After the 2006 season, Taylor turned down a show business opportunity because the Dolphins had a new coach coming in – again – and he decided participating in the team’s voluntary offseason program and pleasing Cam Cameron was more important than pursuing the opportunity.

Taylor and his agent Gary Wichard, who along with Taylor dislikes Cam Cameron, regretted that decision.

So when Dancing was offered this offseason, Wichard worked to convince Taylor to take it even though it meant missing the offseason program instituted by Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano, regardless of how it made the new guys feel.

This is not to suggest football is no longer important to Taylor. But it should clearly show that show business is growing in importance for Taylor.

He has told teammates he will try for and audition, if he must, for every reality television and movie role that seems attainable. He hopes that won’t interfere with football. But if it does as the 2009 season draws close, show business may win out over football.

And that brings us to this weekend.

The Dolphins now have a player who will be 34 years old in September. He is on the roster but not on the field with his teammates during the current offseason program. Coach Tony Sparano has been publicly supportive of Taylor’s dancing.

But Bill Parcells has got to be seething privately.

How else would tough guy Parcells view that one player is skipping Miami’s workout program, lifting absolutely no free weights as Parcells wants his players to do, and is instead dancing six to eight hours a day?

Does that sound like a Parcells player to you?

For that reason and the short shelf life I have outlined above, I believe the Dolphins will not only listen to trade offers for Taylor this weekend, but actively seek them. I agree with NFL Network analyst Adam Schefter who today said he thinks it is better than 50-50 that Miami trades Taylor.

The price will not be cheap. After the Jared Allen trade set the market pretty high for a pass-rusher, I think the Dolphins would trade Taylor for a pick anywhere between No. 26 and No. 45ish. I know Parcells has vowed not to trade Taylor. But things change.

And based on the fact the player would rather play on a contender than the Dolphins -- which was reported by me March 10 -- and based on the fact Taylor is not certain about playing at all in 2009, trading him would certainly be the wise thing to do.