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Jags' Taylor no-show at workout sessions


Running back among four players who've stayed away from voluntary program.


By BART HUBBUCH, The Times-Union


Running back Fred Taylor has been absent from the Jaguars' offseason program this week, and neither Taylor nor the team is offering much in the way of an explanation.

Taylor, who has been the Jaguars' rushing leader in five of his seven NFL seasons, is coming off knee surgery in January and did not attend Monday's opening session at Alltel Stadium or participate in Tuesday's on-field running and agility work.

Except for one minicamp, the offseason program is voluntary and players can't be fined for declining to participate. Taylor is one of four starters from last season to be absent so far, joining strong safety Donovin Darius, defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and outside linebacker Akin Ayodele.

Taylor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Taylor's continued absence from the offseason program is "between Fred and the team." Taylor also missed part of the 2003 offseason program -- the first under coach Jack Del Rio -- because he was in the middle of talks that later produced a long-term contract extension.

Del Rio declined comment Tuesday. Paul Vance, the Jaguars' senior vice president of football operations, said he was unaware of any dispute between Taylor and the team.


"As far as I know, he's rehabbing in South Florida and doing exactly what he's supposed to do," Vance said, referring to arthroscopic surgery Taylor had in Miami nearly three months ago.

Rosenhaus declined comment when asked if Taylor's absence was related to his knee surgery.

Taylor, 29, ran for 1,224 yards last season before missing the final two games with a partially torn medial collateral ligament, ending what had been a career-long streak of 46 consecutive starts.

Taylor said immediately after the season that he didn't expect to require surgery, but further examination by noted sports orthopedist John Uribe prompted Taylor to have the arthroscopic procedure Jan. 20.

Taylor's uncertain situation has prompted the Jaguars to look closely at taking a running back high in this month's NFL Draft.

The team has shown interest in Florida's Ciatrick Fason, who is from Jacksonville Beach, and attended multiple workouts by former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett.

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/s ... 5550.shtml


Jags sign DT Tony Williams
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran free agent defensive tackle Tony Williams on Wednesday, as the team continues to revamp its defensive front.

Williams will likely be a backup behind Pro Bowl tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.

The 29-year-old Williams played six games with the Cincinnati Bengals last season before missing the rest of the season with a broken ankle suffered in October on a cut block in a nationally televised game against the Denver Broncos. He finished the year with 17 tackles.

Williams had missed just three games in three previous years with the Bengals. He has 260 tackles and 22 sacks in eight seasons with the Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings.

http://theredzone.org/news/showarticle. ... cleID=2547

before missing the final two games with a partially torn medial collateral ligament, ending what had been a career-long streak of 46 consecutive starts.

Taylor said immediately after the season that he didn't expect to require surgery, but further examination by noted sports orthopedist John Uribe prompted Taylor to have the arthroscopic procedure Jan. 20.

I had the same injury and ran with it for years, except that I could not do knee bends. And whenever I drove from home in New Jersey to HQ in Manassas, I'd get out of the car groaning with a stiff leg.

The sports doctor was right. It doesn't just heal up like a scratch.

Finally had the same surgery in November, and, it took a couple of months to feel right again.

I would expect Taylor to be doing various exercises to strengthen thew muscles around the knee, but nothing that requires agility yet.

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Same thing with Lavar Arrington. I'm glad they held him out of games.

whats the deal, is Rosenhaus telling ALL his clients not to work out?