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100% embarrassed
Vincent, Taylor officially on the market
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
By MARK ECKEL
Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA - Cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent spent the past eight years helping the Eagles have the best secondary in the NFL. They will spend the next few weeks helping each other get the best deals they can in the NFL.
In all likelihood, Taylor and Vincent have played their final games as Eagles. Both became unrestricted free agents today and both are ready to move on with their careers.
Taylor's goal is to stay in his native Texas and sign with either Dallas or Houston, although Arizona and new head coach Denny Green could make a strong push. Cincinnati, where former Eagles assistant Leslie Frazier is the coordinator, will also be involved.
Vincent has narrowed a list of a dozen teams down to four or five, which includes the Jets but does not include - despite national reports - Carolina. He also got good news yesterday when the Colts signed quarterback Peyton Manning to a long-term deal and reduced their salary cap by about $10 million.
"I'm pretty excited about this," Taylor said from his home in Houston. "I'm trying to be cool and calm, but, to be honest, I'm really excited. I've never been a free agent before, so I'm looking forward to it."
Taylor has been as Eagle since 1995 when then-head coach Ray Rhodes traded up and selected him in the second round of the draft. The following season, Vincent joined him at cornerback, coming to the Eagles as a free agent from the Miami Dolphins.
"Troy and I are tight," Taylor said. "We're going to stay that way. We're going to be talking to each other every day through this process, comparing notes, so to speak."
Taylor recently let go of his agent, Jason Medlock, and plans to handle the free-agent negotiations on his own.
"For the past four years, I didn't have an agent because I didn't need one," Taylor said. "I hired (Medlock) mainly to talk to the Eagles last spring to find out if they were going to re-sign me. I didn't want to get involved in that. But I think I can handle (free agency) myself."
Vincent, who will begin visits today, wants to end this process quickly. He would like to have a new team in place by the end of the week, if possible.
"It doesn't need to be a long process," he said. "There's no reason for it take too long."
Taylor agrees, but may take a little more time.
"We'll see how it goes," he said. "You know I would love to stay in Texas. That would be my dream. I have my son with me here in Houston, and I'd love to play here. And I grew up a Cowboys' fan. You know I would love to play in Dallas."
Arizona and Green intrigue him, too. He remembers when Green, as the head coach of the Vikings, tried to trade for him before the 1998 season. Instead, he signed a new deal with the Eagles.
"I want to go somewhere to have a chance to win," Taylor said. "Arizona hasn't won, but (Green) has always won. I think he's going to turn it around there."
Vincent is looking for the same type of opportunities.
"A winning team is important, the head coach is important, the system they play is important," Vincent, who made a chart and a scoring system for all of the interested teams and is going over it on a regular basis, said. "I'm looking at all the factors."
He's not looking back, nor is Taylor.
Both say they have good memories of their time with the Eagles, but they realize that time has passed.
"I'm not bitter, not at all," Taylor said. "I knew I wasn't coming back in the spring when I missed that minicamp. That's why I did it. I could see what was happening. It wasn't just me. We lose Jeremiah Trotter one year, Hugh Douglas the next year. I knew I was next.
"Hey I would have loved to have been an Eagle my entire career, but I know how it works. I also know I can still play. I can start for any team in this league."
Vincent's departure comes as more of a shock to everyone, except him. Even during the week of the Pro Bowl, his last official juncture as an Eagle, certain members of the organization were trying to convince him - or each other - he would be back. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson told him it would be big mistake to let him get away.
But he's gone.
"I knew it," Vincent said. "I tried to tell you all season. And I'm fine with it. My time in Philly was up. There are no exceptions to the rule. Donovan McNabb, Coach (Andy) Reid - their time will come, too. We played some great football together. We didn't get what we wanted (a Super Bowl victory). But we played some great football."
http://www.nj.com/sports/times/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1078306756159321.xml
Wednesday, March 03, 2004
By MARK ECKEL
Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA - Cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent spent the past eight years helping the Eagles have the best secondary in the NFL. They will spend the next few weeks helping each other get the best deals they can in the NFL.
In all likelihood, Taylor and Vincent have played their final games as Eagles. Both became unrestricted free agents today and both are ready to move on with their careers.
Taylor's goal is to stay in his native Texas and sign with either Dallas or Houston, although Arizona and new head coach Denny Green could make a strong push. Cincinnati, where former Eagles assistant Leslie Frazier is the coordinator, will also be involved.
Vincent has narrowed a list of a dozen teams down to four or five, which includes the Jets but does not include - despite national reports - Carolina. He also got good news yesterday when the Colts signed quarterback Peyton Manning to a long-term deal and reduced their salary cap by about $10 million.
"I'm pretty excited about this," Taylor said from his home in Houston. "I'm trying to be cool and calm, but, to be honest, I'm really excited. I've never been a free agent before, so I'm looking forward to it."
Taylor has been as Eagle since 1995 when then-head coach Ray Rhodes traded up and selected him in the second round of the draft. The following season, Vincent joined him at cornerback, coming to the Eagles as a free agent from the Miami Dolphins.
"Troy and I are tight," Taylor said. "We're going to stay that way. We're going to be talking to each other every day through this process, comparing notes, so to speak."
Taylor recently let go of his agent, Jason Medlock, and plans to handle the free-agent negotiations on his own.
"For the past four years, I didn't have an agent because I didn't need one," Taylor said. "I hired (Medlock) mainly to talk to the Eagles last spring to find out if they were going to re-sign me. I didn't want to get involved in that. But I think I can handle (free agency) myself."
Vincent, who will begin visits today, wants to end this process quickly. He would like to have a new team in place by the end of the week, if possible.
"It doesn't need to be a long process," he said. "There's no reason for it take too long."
Taylor agrees, but may take a little more time.
"We'll see how it goes," he said. "You know I would love to stay in Texas. That would be my dream. I have my son with me here in Houston, and I'd love to play here. And I grew up a Cowboys' fan. You know I would love to play in Dallas."
Arizona and Green intrigue him, too. He remembers when Green, as the head coach of the Vikings, tried to trade for him before the 1998 season. Instead, he signed a new deal with the Eagles.
"I want to go somewhere to have a chance to win," Taylor said. "Arizona hasn't won, but (Green) has always won. I think he's going to turn it around there."
Vincent is looking for the same type of opportunities.
"A winning team is important, the head coach is important, the system they play is important," Vincent, who made a chart and a scoring system for all of the interested teams and is going over it on a regular basis, said. "I'm looking at all the factors."
He's not looking back, nor is Taylor.
Both say they have good memories of their time with the Eagles, but they realize that time has passed.
"I'm not bitter, not at all," Taylor said. "I knew I wasn't coming back in the spring when I missed that minicamp. That's why I did it. I could see what was happening. It wasn't just me. We lose Jeremiah Trotter one year, Hugh Douglas the next year. I knew I was next.
"Hey I would have loved to have been an Eagle my entire career, but I know how it works. I also know I can still play. I can start for any team in this league."
Vincent's departure comes as more of a shock to everyone, except him. Even during the week of the Pro Bowl, his last official juncture as an Eagle, certain members of the organization were trying to convince him - or each other - he would be back. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson told him it would be big mistake to let him get away.
But he's gone.
"I knew it," Vincent said. "I tried to tell you all season. And I'm fine with it. My time in Philly was up. There are no exceptions to the rule. Donovan McNabb, Coach (Andy) Reid - their time will come, too. We played some great football together. We didn't get what we wanted (a Super Bowl victory). But we played some great football."
http://www.nj.com/sports/times/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1078306756159321.xml
