Taylor pickup means good things will come for Roth

By Adam Sweeney  |   Thursday, May 14, 2009  |  Comments( 6 )

Miami Dolphins
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Miami Dolphins fans have to be thrilled that Jason Taylor, whom the team traded to Washington last offseason, is back. Taylor spent 11 hugely successful years in Miami before his rift with its management caused the trade to the Redskins last summer, but the feud is over and Taylor is once again a Dolphin.

His addition will add depth to the defense, of course, but the one Dolphin who has to be thrilled about Taylor finding his way back to the team is Matt Roth. Even if Taylor has lost some speed, teams will key on him and Joey Porter, which is going to open gaps for Roth to wreak havoc on quarterbacks in 2009.

Roth has received mixed reviews from fans, but he has improved statistically every season since coming into the league as a 2005 second-round pick. With upgrades to the secondary and snagging Taylor at a low price, you have to think that Roth can improve on last year's five sacks, right?

Roth isn't the most fluid player on the Dolphins' defense, but he's reliable. He also has a never-say-die attitude and has fought through injuries. Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano love guys like that. If they would choose a single position for him and let him stick to it, you would finally get to see Roth live up to his potential -- that's a promise. Yes, he's a raw player right now, but he's still young and can learn a lot from Porter and Taylor, who are excellent pass rushers. He doesn't need help in run situations -- Roth can handle that. So, who better to learn at how to find the right angle or technique to getting to the QB than Taylor?

In truth, the case could be made that Taylor needs Roth as much as Roth needs Taylor. Without the ability to stuff the gaps or stop the run after the RB has passed the defensive line, Taylor isn't going to have many chances to rack up sacks on third-and-long situations. The Dolphins don't have many run-stuffers as it is, so letting Roth go would be a mistake. If they grab a more talented linebacker in 2010, then you have a case to possibly move him, but you can't at this point -- not with an aging linebacking corps.

Don't give up on Roth yet, Dolphins fans, as sometimes it takes some time to put it all together. He has the physical gifts to be a quality player. If he can stay healthy and learn from the best, his time for success may come sooner than you think.
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About Adam Sweeney

Adam Sweeney spent 4 years as an opinions and arts & entertainment columnist with the Lone Star Lutheran, also working with Sports Illustrated.com. Along with his work on Realfootball 365 he currently is a contributor for Film School Rejects, SLAM Online, Talkhoops.net, and C-Heads ...
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