With news that Jason Taylor is moving from South Beach to the South Lawn, Clinton " Dr. Do Itch Big" Portis is all smiles. But how does this affect the two franchises -- the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins -- and the defensive end?
Season premiers on NFL Network ...
[ **NFL Playbook** returns to NFL Network, breaking down the X's and O's of key NFC games on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. ET and returning on Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET to feature the AFC.
[ **NFL GameDay** returns to NFL Network starting with Week 1 highlights on Sept. 7, airing at 7:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 p.m. ET.
» Fans, want to get NFL Network? Cable operators, want to carry NFL Network? **Click here for more information**.
For perhaps the first time, the on-air personalities at the NFL Network are seemingly all in agreement: All three parties involved should be smiling. They discussed the deal that saw the Redskins send a 2009 second-round draft pick and a 2010 sixth-round selection to the Dolphins in exchange for Taylor.
Deion Sanders, NFL Gameday: I love it. I'm happy for Jason Taylor. I wish other owners appeased their players like Miami did with Jason. When a guy has been that vital to your franchise, you should allow him to leave during a rebuilding process.
Washington already had a solid defense and this just adds to it. Both sides are happy, but not the fans in Miami.
And you can't be surprised by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder making this move. This is who he is. He's an aggressive owner like Jerry Jones. Those guys live the game. They're involved intimately.
Steve Mariucci, NFL Gameday: It's unfortunate that an injury was required for this deal to happen. But Washington benefits by getting a heck of a player. Taylor could still play for several years and he gets a new beginning.
He obviously had some issues with Miami. Him staying only would have lead to a quick retirement. He was thinking of doing other things outside of football. This deal keeps him in the league for a few more years. He gets to go to a good team. A team that's not rebuilding; a team that has a chance to make the playoffs.
I understand why it took so long to get a deal done. To give away a second-round pick for a guy that stated he may only play one year; you expect a player acquired for a second-rounder to play four to five years on your team. I'm sure the Redskins discussed with him about playing more than one year.
Brian Baldinger, NFL Playbook: I can't believe there weren't a line of teams ready to acquire Taylor, especially for the level of compensation. If you're Washington, you're getting a proven guy for two years. Washington has never had a pass rusher like this. This is a guy who changes games. He's instantly the best pass rusher in that division; he's the most complete. And it's not like he has to come in and learn a lot.
Miami wanted to unload. The team has been gutted. That's Bill Parcells' template. Bottom line, it looks like a great deal for everyone.
Sterling Sharpe, NFL Playbook: Everyone should be happy. Miami is happy, Jason Taylor is happy and Washington is elated. How many rebuilding jobs can Taylor go through?
This is what's funny to me about the trade. I know an injury forced the deal, but look at a team like Green Bay. I question if the Packers are truly putting themselves in a position to be as good as they can be.
This has Bill Parcells all over it. Knowing Bill, it's all about image. He doesn't want to show any signs of weakness.
Rich Eisen, NFL Total Access: This deal should be a win for everyone. Jason Taylor gets a chance for a ring. Miami gets a second-round pick and the Redskins get one of the game's best.
My only question is, if I'm the Dolphins and if you're going to trade the guy anyway, why not do it earlier? Was there a last straw? Was Miami overreaching before? I'm surprised a team like the Giants, which lost Michael Strahan, didn't think of making this deal. Miami must have been asking for quite a lot.
I do think it was a class move that Taylor didn't try to renegotiate his deal. A lot of guys would try to squeeze a couple more million out of their new team.
