Broncos sign DT Phil Taylor — reasons to love the move
The Denver Broncos have reportedly signed former first round pick Phil Taylor. Here are some reasons to love this move…
The Denver Broncos have made a roster move, per multiple reports around the league, adding defensive tackle Phil Taylor, a former first round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns.
I love this move, even if Taylor doesn’t make it out of camp.
Despite a lengthy injury history and being out of football in 2015, Taylor is a very talented defensive lineman that was once a consideration for the Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft. He took a private visit to Denver, and I remember a lot of fans five years ago were pounding the table for this guy to be the centerpiece of the Broncos’ new-look defensive line.
Now that the Broncos have established themselves as one of the best defenses in the NFL, they can afford to take risks on players like this in need of a second chance. Taylor was a really solid player in 2011 for the Browns when he played in all 16 games and had 59 total tackles with four sacks. He appeared on his way to a very nice career in the NFL before injuries started to become a major part of the story.
Over the next three seasons, he would play in just 28 games before not playing in any in 2015.
This move, like the move to sign Marvin Austin in 2014, is a move that is low-risk, possibly high reward. The Broncos don’t need Phil Taylor to come in and be the starting nose tackle, which is the first reason to love this pickup. This is a luxury move at a low price. The Broncos can afford to take this kind of risk because of their depth.
At one point, Phil Taylor was an all-rookie selection with a promising future and if injuries are the only thing that have gotten in the way, maybe a year off from football did his body well.
Another reason to love this move? Bill Kollar.
Kollar was the Houston Texans’ defensive line coach until the end of the 2014 season, when Gary Kubiak brought him to Denver. Kubiak’s decision to bring Kollar to Denver proved to be one of the biggest moves the team made this offseason, as his presence elevated the play of Derek Wolfe, Sylvester Williams, and Malik Jackson to a level that helped the Broncos dominate the Super Bowl from the inside out.
Kollar’s presence on this coaching staff is as good a career move for Phil Taylor as any, especially with the work he’s done in recent years between Houston and Denver.
Taylor was drafted by Tom Heckert in Cleveland, and Heckert has brought in plenty of his former draft picks since he’s been in Denver, if only on a tryout basis. Taylor is a very talented player who will be 28 at the start of this season. This is likely one of his final chances to revive his NFL career.
Why not in Denver?