Deal worth $45 million over six seasons

Submitted by: Len Pasquarelli
03-01-2004

Article originally published on ESPN.com

It wasn't as if Jason Taylor was going anywhere but, with a three-year extension signed on Monday, the Miami Dolphins dramatically increased the chances their Pro Bowl defensive end will play his entire career with the franchise.

The extension now ties Taylor, one of the NFL's most prolific pass rushers, to Miami through the 2009 season. The seven-year veteran had three years remaining on his prior deal. Counting the Monday extension, the resultant six-year deal is worth $45 million, ESPN.com has learned.

Agent Gary Wichard was not approached by Dolphins officials until recently about reworking Taylor's contract but, with the team anxious to create additional cap space, the agreement came together quickly. The contract, not surprisingly, will lower Taylor's cap number for 2004, which was scheduled to be $8.22 million prior to the extension.

Typical of the contracts Wichard negotiates, the deal maintains a fairly even cash flow throughout, and is not significantly backloaded. It creates an additional $8.65 million in guaranteed money for the defensive end and will pay him about $22 million over the ensuing three seasons.

A three-time Pro Bowl performer, Taylor, 29, has posted 55 sacks in the last four years and three times in that stretch had 13 sacks or more. His 18½ sacks in 2002 led the NFL. Despite his lean physique, Taylor has also made himself a stout run defender during the last few seasons, and he has added to his pass-rush repertoire.

No longer is the former Akron star, a third-round choice in the 1997 draft, considered just an upfield rusher.

Taylor has 396 tackles and 71½ sacks for his career. He has appeared in 108 games and his started 105 of them. That includes starting every game each of the last four seasons.

Agent Gary Wichard was not approached by Dolphins officials until recently about reworking Taylor's contract but, with the team anxious to create additional cap space, the agreement came together quickly. The contract, not surprisingly, will lower Taylor's cap number for 2004, which was scheduled to be $8.22 million prior to the extension.

Typical of the contracts Wichard negotiates, the deal maintains a fairly even cash flow throughout, and is not significantly backloaded. It creates an additional $8.65 million in guaranteed money for the defensive end and will pay him about $22 million over the ensuing three seasons.

A three-time Pro Bowl performer, Taylor, 29, has posted 55 sacks in the last four years and three times in that stretch had 13 sacks or more. His 18½ sacks in 2002 led the NFL. Despite his lean physique, Taylor has also made himself a stout run defender during the last few seasons, and he has added to his pass-rush repertoire.

No longer is the former Akron star, a third-round choice in the 1997 draft, considered just an upfield rusher.

Taylor has 396 tackles and 71½ sacks for his career. He has appeared in 108 games and his started 105 of them. That includes starting every game each of the last four seasons.