Leaner, meaner, still quiet: Redskins' Taylor is still the beast

Aug/07/07 04:28 AM

As he made his way from the autograph-seekers to the Washington Redskins locker room, the frazzle-haired safety wearing No. 21 was approached by a reporter.

"Time for the Sean Taylor press conference?" the reporter said with a smile and the faintest of hopes.

"Never," Taylor replied — and there was no smile on his face.

Four times over six days of training camp, the Redskins tentatively scheduled their enigmatic Pro Bowler to make a rare appearance before the notepads and microphones. Each time, Taylor said no at the last minute, maintaining the barrier that has kept fans from learning more about one of the fiercest hitters in football.

"Honestly, man, this thing's like a never-ending story every year," receiver Santana Moss said. "People ask questions more and more about Sean."

Is this the Season of Sean?

Aug/03/07 11:08 AM

Other than the generosity of Dan Snyder's checkbook, no Washington Redskins topic generates more praise than the performance, future and personality of safety Sean Taylor.

His teammates point to his physical conditioning and mental aptitude as reasons why last year's Pro Bowl appearance is the first of many.

“He's a beast,” linebacker Marcus Washington said.

“On the field, he's an animal,” safety Pierson Prioleau said.

His coaches point to his emergence as a vocal leader and unselfishness to play any role at any place on the field as reasons why he remains the right guy to build a secondary around.

“It's amazing how he's found ways to improve,” assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams said.

No. 21 makes right move

May/17/07 10:23 AM

Driving from northern Virginia to Baltimore this afternoon for today's Preakness Stakes draw, I still had a hard time comprehending what I was going to say in this blog entry.

Sean Taylor did something smart by reporting to the Loudoun County Parkway on Tuesday for the second week of the Redskins' off-season practices/workouts/rehearsals/recesses.
It boggles the mind, right?

Sean Taylor did something right.

Sean Taylor did something befitting a future leader.

Sean Taylor did something smart.

Sean Taylor did something that showed respect for his head coach.

Maybe the kid is getting it after all.

Taylor at last reports for work

May/16/07 10:41 AM

Safety Sean Taylor was a surprise participant as the Washington Redskins began their second week of organized team activities yesterday at Redskin Park.

Taylor, who had not been in touch with the coaching staff while absent last week, acted as if his return wasn't a big deal even though he and still-absent cornerback Shawn Springs had been the only players missing.

"I don't think there's a problem," said Taylor, who didn't participate in any voluntary offseason work in 2005 and wasn't a regular in 2006 either as his felony assault case made its way through the legal system. "I should've been here with everybody else, but I'm sure I'll make it up the next couple of weeks."

Joe Gibbs Is Kinda Pissed at Sean Taylor

May/14/07 11:39 AM

Earlier here at the FanHaus, we talked about Redskins safety Sean Taylor missing the Redskins voluntary workout last week. There have been rumblings that Taylor is mad about his contract situation. And now there are more rumblings that Taylor is miffed that the Skins failed to re-sign his buddy Ryan Clark last offseason. Either way, Taylor blew off the team.

Well, seems like Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs isn't too thrilled about the snub.

Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs expressed surprise and dismay yesterday that neither starting free safety Sean Taylor nor starting cornerback Shawn Springs attended the first week of voluntary workouts. Springs said yesterday he plans to join the workouts the first week of June.

"With Sean Taylor, I've had no contact whatsoever," Gibbs said. "I'm not aware of anything there. That's about all I can say about it. I've had no contact."

Uh-Oh! Sean Taylor Shuns Redskin Workout

May/10/07 12:36 PM

Of course you can't have everything in Redskin Land. After drafting LaRon Landry to pair up with Sean Taylor in the secondary ... Taylor decides he isn't too cool with his contract. Taylor didn't show up for the Redskins' voluntary workout this week. He and Shawn Springs [who's Redskin career is up in the air] were the most notable absences. Yeah, it's voluntary, but the Redskins have been pushing for veterans to show up since they are allowing players to work out on their own time, away from the team. Also, the Skins were led to believe that Taylor was going to attend.

However, numerous players suggested that Taylor likely would not be in attendance, a byproduct of his possible displeasure with his contract. Sources said that team officials were hoping Taylor was merely taking personal time and preparing to join the workouts. Sources added that Director of Player Personnel Vinny Cerrato and Taylor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had been in discussions in recent weeks regarding a contract extension for Taylor, whose contract expires after the 2008 season.

Taylor, Springs Skip Team Workout

May/09/07 11:43 AM

WASHINGTON — While the majority of the Washington Redskins’ regular players were in attendance at the team’s first organized activities of the offseason Tuesday, two absences were noteworthy: Neither safety Sean Taylor nor cornerback Shawn Springs was at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va.

It is unclear whether Taylor, who works out in Miami, plans to attend the workouts, which will be held Tuesday through Thursday of each week leading up to the June minicamp, with one week off. While attendance is voluntary, the coaching staff has encouraged players to attend, especially since Coach Joe Gibbs agreed to veterans’ demands that they be allowed to do their offseason conditioning away from Redskins Park this past winter.

Taylor attended the voluntary workouts sporadically in 2004 and not at all in 2005, then had perfect attendance last year. Springs, meanwhile, is in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he has been working out for the past three months and enduring an uncertain offseason with the Redskins. In February, the Redskins asked him to take a $2 million pay cut and he refused. In the interim, he has been part of trade scenarios. Springs said he planned to attend the voluntary workouts later in the month, but wanted to remain focused on his Arizona training.

Sean Taylor To Free Saftey

May/06/07 09:51 AM

After enduring a season of pronounced defensive breakdowns that resulted in a 5-11 record, Redskins assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams said at the end of the season he planned to watch more film than he ever had in an attempt to pinpoint the specific problems, large and small.

In his first public comments of the new season, Williams mentioned a change he will make: For the first time in his tenure with the Redskins, his safeties will have traditional designations. Sean Taylor will be the free safety and LSU rookie LaRon Landry, should he win a starting role in training camp, will be the strong safety.

"I think that Sean Taylor's skill is that he can go so far to go and get balls, but we had to use him in the box an awful lot last year," Williams said. "He can do it all. He can do anything you want him to do. I think this young man can do that, too, and I'd like to put Sean Taylor more in the position to get the ball in the passing game."

Sean Taylor update

Feb/11/07 12:43 PM

But there was no confusion about the best play: Sean Taylor, the maverick Washington Redskins safety, broke the unwritten rule about hard hits in an exhibition when he viciously leveled Buffalo Bills punter Brian Moorman on an attempted fake in the third quarter.

(baltimoresun.com)

Redskins' Taylor added to Pro Bowl roster

Feb/06/07 01:46 AM

ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was added to the NFC's Pro Bowl roster Monday after Brian Dawkins of the Philadelphia Eagles withdrew because of personal reasons.

Taylor, who will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance, was a first alternate when Pro Bowl rosters were announced in December. He had an erratic season--making only one interception for a defense that ranked 31st in the league--but he led the Redskins with 129 tackles and showed ability to intimidate wide receivers with jarring hits.

Taylor, the No. 5 pick from Miami in the 2004 draft, joints left tackle Chris Samuels as the Redskins' representatives to the Pro Bowl, which will be played Saturday in Honolulu.

(AP)