Redskins acquire unhappy Taylor from Miami for draft picks

By Jason La Canfora

and Jason Reid

The Redskins traded for Miami defensive end Jason Taylor on Sunday night, just hours after losing starter Phillip Daniels and reserve Alex Buzbee to season-ending injuries on the first day of training camp.

Vinny Cerrato, Washington's executive vice president of football operations, dealt a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 for Taylor, a perennial Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year who was engaged in a public spat with the Dolphins after skipping offseason workouts to appear on "Dancing with the Stars."

The Redskins have lacked depth and a consistent pass rush from their defensive line for years. Taylor, who will turn 34 in September, has been one of the game's elite sack specialists. The Redskins assume the final two years of Taylor's contract, Cerrato said, with no renegotiation. Taylor is set to make $8 million this season, including a $500,000 roster bonus, and $8.5 million next season with the same bonus.

Taylor, who is expected to take a physical today, has talked about playing just one more season before pursuing acting options, but Cerrato said he is "100 percent confident he'll play more than one year."

The trade capped a whirlwind series of events after Daniels and Buzbee were injured. After the second practice, Cerrato said, "We haven't talked with anyone yet on anything." Roughly an hour and a half later, the deal was announced.

Cerrato said the injuries forced Washington to exhaust all options. He said Taylor (6-foot-6 and 255 pounds) will move to the left side - he played right end in Miami - and Andre Carter will remain the starter on the right side.

"We're fortunate there is a guy of that caliber on the market when a guy gets hurt," Cerrato said.

Taylor has clashed with Bill Parcells, Miami's new executive vice president of football operations, about being away from the team for much of the offseason to pursue his Hollywood ambitions. Cerrato is close to Gary Wichard, Taylor's agent, and was confident the player was ready to make an impact and is focused on football.

Starting tackle Cornelius Griffin said he was sad to lose a teammate such as Daniels to injury but was eager to welcome Taylor to town.

"I think he can really help us," Griffin said. "He's a great asset to our team; he may be a future Hall of Famer."

The loss of Daniels, in his 13th NFL season and starting his fifth with Washington, sent a ripple through the locker room. Daniels, 35, is a leader and had worked hard with, among other things, a rigorous power-lifting regimen this offseason to try to stave off injury.

He leaped awkwardly during the first snap of seven-on-seven drills in the morning practice. He tore his left ACL and will undergo career-threatening surgery Friday.

Buzbee ruptured his right Achilles' while backpedaling during afternoon drills, capping a highly unusual start to Jim Zorn's first training camp as an NFL head coach.