Jason Taylor could leave the Dolphins for another AFC East team, but not the one most people expected.
Speaking on the Joe Rose Show in Miami, agent Gary Wichard said Taylor will visit the Jets Wednesday.
Taylor has made it clear he wants to return to the Dolphins this offseason, but it’s uncertain if the interest was mutual. A report Tuesday said Taylor would be content waiting until after the draft to sign.
This could just be a negotiating ploy aimed at getting the Dolphins to act. Taylor said almost exactly one year ago today he had no interest in playing for the Jets. Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald writes the Jets have made a “heavy pitch” for weeks just to get Taylor to consider them as a real possibility.
The Jets are limited by the “Final Eight Plan,” making them unable to sign an unrestricted free agent until after kicker Jay Feely signed with the Cardinals.
The rules also states that a “player contract for the new player (Taylor) shall have a first year salary of no more than the first year salary of the player contract signed by the previous player with the new club.”
Feely is reportedly scheduled to earn $1.5 million in 2010 pay; thus, that’s all the Jets can pay Taylor in 2010. Because the “Final Eight Plan” limits future growth to 30 percent of the 2010 salary, the Jets could only raise his pay to $1.95 million in 2011.
Then again, Taylor made only $1.5 million last season and he’s no longer in high demand. He could probably work out things with Jets fans.