I have to admit that I was ambivalent about the signing of Jason Taylor given that he's on the downside of his career. And the Skins gave up a second round pick (and sixth, but I consider those a dime a dozen) to get him.
However, now that it's been a few days, it's definitely a needed upgrade. Remarkably, the D-line gets younger with Taylor in the lineup. Even though he's 34, Philip Daniels is 35. As an aside, this almost assuredly means the end of Daniels' career, unfortunately. No one is going to bring in a 36 year old DE who just suffered a season-ending injury. Much cheaper and more upside with a young player that can grow with the team.
Back to Jason Taylor - he keeps himself in top physical shape, as evidenced by his physique in Dancing with the Stars clips. He demands respect that Daniels didn't get as a pass rusher. And as a newcomer with the Skins a far better team than Miami, Taylor has the motivation to prove something to the organization and to the rest of the league that it was a good move. Can't underestimate the power of motivation.
A real wild card will be Erasmus James in the DE mix. Would be wonderful to see the gamble on him pay off for the defense. Then he could spell Carter and Taylor and keep them fresh for later in the year.
