No player has been more of a fixture in Jacksonville than running back Fred Taylor. He is 16th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 11,271 yards.

But the curtain is about to come down on the player who evolved into the face of the franchise.

The 32-year-old Taylor is scheduled to carry a $6 million salary and cap number next season. If the Jaguars were to release him, there would be no acceleration and his $6 million would come right off their books.

Jacksonville already is well positioned against the cap for the 2009 season. Right now, it is projected to be $14 million under the salary cap. Releasing Taylor, which now seems inevitable, would give Jacksonville a whopping $20 million under the salary cap.

With Taylor on injured reserve, he will not have the chance to take a victory lap. But he, and others around football have to know, the time has come for Taylor and Jacksonville to say goodbye.

Posted in: Adam Schefter  | comments  |