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07/02/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Apart from 13 mostly unmemorable outings with the Washington Redskins in 2008, Jason Taylor has spent his entire 13- year NFL career as a member of the Miami Dolphins.
Thus, suffice it to say, he's more than familiar with the New York Jets. Taylor's second career NFL sack was of then-Jets QB Neil O'Donnell in 1997, and his appearances against the organization that Namath made famous number around two dozen. He's also had plenty of rhetorical run-ins with the team's vocal fan base, once saying, "There's a little more class on the Giants side...some Jets fans take the 'cl' out of class."
So you might forgive those who did a double-take when they saw the news that Taylor had signed on to wear the same jersey that those supposedly less-than- refined supporters will don inside the new Meadowlands stadium this fall. The marriage between Taylor and the Jets feels about as natural as one between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Sarah Silverman.
Fans of Gang Green aren't the only ones who find the move curious.
"It's a little surreal," said Taylor at his introductory press conference in the spring. "To be honest, walking into the building on my first visit and kind of feeling like you're in somewhat of enemy territory, it was different."
If you get the sense that Taylor would have chosen not to have those strange feelings, then you're not far off. The six-time Pro Bowler makes no bones about the fact that he wished to return to the Dolphins, but a prickly relationship with management and Taylor's advancing age largely had much to do with a lack of mutual interest.
In the end, the best offer Taylor had from a contending team came from the Fins' longtime division rivals, and the 35-year-old ultimately decided to set aside any misgivings in the pursuit of his first Super Bowl title.
There are some who believe that Taylor's well-demonstrated pass-rushing skills could be the thing to get the Jets over the hump this season.
"I couldn't be happier to have someone like Rex Ryan come up to the forefront and want me," Taylor said of his new coach. "He was one half away from going to the Super Bowl last year, he and the Jets. [The Jets] had the number one defense in the League. For him to express interest in a 35-year old defensive end/linebacker out of the rival Miami Dolphins was very flattering to me."
But what of those fans who might be suspicious that Taylor - who had the worst year of his career when playing away from Miami in 2008 - might not be at his best while wearing what he once considered to be hated Jets green?
"I think the number one currency in the NFL is what you do on the football field," Taylor said. "If you want to get results, if you want to get something done, if you want to get a new contract, the best the way to go about doing that is by your play. That's what I plan to do. Come over here and play my butt off like I have for 13 years in the League and give this organization and these fans everything that I have."
Below, as the second installment of our eight-part "GameChangers" series, we look at five incoming pass rushers who will enter their first year in a new uniform as central figures in their team's 2010 development:
5. Derrick Morgan, Titans (rookie, Georgia Tech) - Life in the NFL has not gotten off to a great start for Morgan, who battled calf and hamstring injuries during the team's mini-camps, then was arrested and charged with speeding and driving with a suspended license in mid-June. Tennessee needs a much more seamless autumn out of Morgan, who was chosen number 16 overall in order to boost one of the league's worst pass rushes in short order. The ACC's 2009 Defensive Player of the Year had 12.5 sacks as a junior last season, more than twice what any Tennessee player posted in last year's disappointing 8-8 campaign.
4. Aaron Kampman, Jaguars (free agent, from Packers) - Kampman probably didn't preserve his 2009 calendar for posterity, as the year started off with Green Bay transitioning to a 3-4 defense that marginalized his skills, and ended with him on injured reserve with a torn ACL suffered in Week 11. The injury didn't deter the Jaguars from snapping up the 4-3 end early in the free agency period, however, or from handing him a four-year, $26 million contract. The 30- year-old Kampman, who had 37 sacks out of the Pack's 4-3 from 2006-2008 and was named to a pair of Pro Bowls, needs to be the answer for a team that had a woeful 14 sacks in 2009.
3. Jason Taylor, Jets (free agent, from Dolphins) - "The fire is still burning," Taylor told the press when he was introduced as a Jet. "Trust me. It's burning hot." If Taylor is truly capable of bringing his "A" game, a Jets team that led the league in several meaningful defensive categories a year ago could be even scarier. Though guys like Calvin Pace and Shaun Ellis have had their moments, Rex Ryan's defense lacks a consistently threatening edge presence, one that Taylor can provide when he's at his best. Jets fans focused on the team's first Super Bowl appearance since The Beatles were a working band will expect nothing less.
2. Brandon Graham, Eagles (rookie, Michigan) - When the Eagles traded up in the first round of the April draft, many assumed it was in order to take a safety (Texas safety Earl Thomas was available) to serve as their Brian Dawkins of the future. Instead, the Birds targeted a player who many believed to be the top pass-rusher available, a reliable complement to the overachieving Trent Cole and a player who has a reputation for being steady against the run. On the latter point, the jury is still out - at a shade under 270 pounds Graham might be a little light to take on the NFL's top offensive tackles - but if he adjusts quickly, the ex-Wolverine should make life a little easier for the beleaguered secondary playing behind him.
1. Julius Peppers, Bears (free agent, from Panthers) - Bears GM Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith took a $91.5 million gamble that Peppers - whose effort during his eight seasons in Carolina was occasionally in question - can prop up Chicago's flagging defense and save their jobs. Peppers, who has missed only two games since 2002 and has posted double-digit sacks in five of the past six years, will definitely help. But with Mike Martz's quick-strike, quick three-and-out offense now operating on the other side, Peppers and the Bears defense is going to be on the field a great deal. Makes you wonder whether the ex-North Carolina two-sport star will be able to withstand the strain.
Next up at the Line of Scrimmage: 2010 GameChangers Part III - Wide Receivers
<< Karlsson withdraws from Open de France
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sweden's Robert Karlsson withdrew from the
Open de France after one round because of a strained wrist.
Karlsson, 40, said on his Twitter feed that he would return for the British
Open in two weeks. He d
<< Avalanche stick with plan of relying on youth
DENVER (AP) -The Colorado Avalanche won't stray from their strategy by taking a shortcut in free agency.The plan is to build a contender from within the organization, an approach that Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman steadfastly believes in an
<< Bourn, Astros use three-run 10th to beat Padres
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Bourn started a three-run 10th inning
with a two-run triple, and the Astros took a 6-3 win from San Diego to kick
off a four-game set from Petco Park.
Jeff Keppinger singled in Bourn to make it a
<< Stamps down Argos in season opener
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Henry Burris threw for 324 yards on 27-of-40
passing, leading the Calgary Stampeders to a 30-16 win over the Toronto
Argonauts in the season opener for both clubs.
Burris also recorded an intercepti
Report: Pierce reaches agreement with Celtics >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics and forward Paul Pierce have
reportedly reached an agreement on a new contract.
The Boston Herald reports the sides reached an agreement for four years, with
options for the club and Pierce
Celtics sign top draft pick Avery Bradley >>
BOSTON (AP) -The Boston Celtics have signed top draft pick Avery Bradley.Bradley was the No. 19 overall selection in last week's NBA draft.Bradley was a shooting guard in his only year at Texas. He will serve as Rajon Rondo's understudy at point gua
Moyer tries to get Phils on track in Steel City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After closing out May with three straight losses, the month
of June was a different story for Phillies veteran Jamie Moyer. Moyer will
look to continue his success in July when he takes the mound tonight in the
continuation o
Reds, Cubs resume set at Wrigley >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A current veteran Cincinnati pitcher squares off against a
former veteran Cincinnati pitcher today when the Reds visit Wrigley Field to
meet the Chicago Cubs in game two of a four-game series.
The Reds won Thursday's open
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“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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