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The Packers are not on the lengthy list of teams Taylor would like to join in a trade, according to multiple sources close to the situation. And it doesn't appear they'll be added anytime soon.
``I don't see it happening,'' a source close to Taylor said Friday.
None of the sources would give out the complete list, which has roughly 12 teams on it. San Diego, New England, Dallas, Jacksonville and Philadelphia are some of the teams Taylor is interested in, but all have at least two of the following three traits in common: They have a chance to go deep into the playoffs, are in close proximity to Florida or California, or reside in a top television market.
The Packers, who return nearly the entire team that went 13-3 and lost in the NFC Championship Game last season, meet only the first criterion. However, the retirement of the one starter lost from that team — quarterback Brett Favre — makes the Packers far from a sure thing to Taylor.
``He's been through that quarterback thing before,'' the source said. ``He doesn't want to go through it again. Maybe if Favre was still there, but even that wouldn't be a given.''
Packers fans still holding out hope for a Favre return will speculate that a trade for Taylor could bring Favre back. It's too bad Favre recently pulled out of the upcoming American Century celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nev. The two could have talked about it, since Taylor is on the invite list.
Perhaps Aaron Rodgers, who will succeed Favre as the Packers' starting quarterback, can recruit Taylor. Rodgers is playing in the tournament.
It is unlikely Rodgers could sway Taylor. He's in this position — 34 years old (on Sept. 1) without a Super Bowl ring — largely because of the situation the Packers are about to go through: figuring out how to succeed after a Hall of Fame quarterback retires.
After playing with Dan Marino during his final three seasons, Taylor watched as 13 starting quarterbacks failed to adequately replace him. As a result, Taylor has gone six years without even playing in a playoff game. So the prospect of playing with Rodgers, who has yet to start a game, is far from enticing.
That's not to say Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy couldn't make a pitch that would change Taylor's mind. The team would need to speak with him — if the Dolphins grant that request — to find out if Taylor would agree to play for two seasons, which is a condition of any possible deal.
The Packers, who have only casually inquired about Taylor and explored a possible deal internally at this point, could also sell Taylor on Green Bay at the same time.
The Packers have three things going for them: Taylor has played and excelled in the same defensive system, Taylor has never played under a more stable coach/general manager combination, and the Packers have four prime-time games on their schedule, including showcase matchups against the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. The Packers also play the Indianapolis Colts.
Visibility would aid the transition to the second phase of Taylor's life: acting. For now his plan is to play one more season, so he doesn't have to end his career with Miami's 1-15 season of a year ago. And even those close to Taylor would rather he move full time to Hollywood right away.
As it is, Taylor is planning to live in southern California half of the year starting in 2009. So he would not be involved in off-season workouts next year if he did agree to play two more seasons. The Packers likely wouldn't have a problem with that since McCarthy allows his veteran players a lot of leeway in that regard.
Although the Dolphins could trade Taylor to any team, he could control his fate by threatening to retire if he's not dealt to one of his preferred teams.
Observers who have watched Taylor play his entire career said he might not be worth the trouble. After being named NFL defensive player of the year in 2006, his play declined last season even though he still had 11 sacks. However, one source said the team's struggles affected Taylor's play.
The Packers will have to weigh all those factors if they proceed toward a deal, which sources said was not on the radar at the moment.
