FRED TAYLOR RELEASED FROM THE JAGS?!

Jaguars Won't Re-Sign Fred Taylor

POSTED: Monday, February 16, 2009

UPDATED: 12:44 pm EST February 16, 2009

Jaguars running back Fred Taylor becomes the 21st player in NFL history to rush for more than 10,000 yards in his career.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Fred Taylor has apparently played his last game as a Jaguar.

Channel 4's sports director Sam Kouvaris learned the team will not offer a contract extension to the 11-year veteran running back -- Jaguars longest tenured player.

Taylor has led the Jaguars in eight of his 10 seasons and started 123 of 127 games over the past decade. Taylor has rushed for 10,715 yards and 61 touchdowns and has 2,263 yards and eight touchdowns receiving in his career.

Taylor, 33, played at the University of Florida, and is listed as 6 feet 1 inch and 228 pounds. He is 16th on the NFL's all-time rushing list with 11,271 yards, 81 behind John Riggins.

Taylor had 556 yards on the ground last season, splitting time with Jones-Drew, and averaged a career-low 3.9 yards a carry behind an injury-riddled offensive line.

In 2007, Taylor was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time.

"I don't think it's much of a surprise, actually," Kouvaris said on the local station at noon. "He contract was up, Fred has become a free agent. So he'll be able to play somewhere else -- one of the 31 other teams."

Last year the Jaguars paid Taylor about $6 million. While Kouvaris said Taylor said "he still had some football in him" and he would be willing to take less money to stay in Jacksonville. The question was how much less.

"He probably would have to agreed to take half of that (the $6 million)," Kouvaris said, while the team probably wasn’t willing to off him between $1 million and $2 million.

Last month, Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith was quoted by Jaguars.com saying that Taylor "can still play, without question."

"I think he can help any team in the league," Smith was quoted. "Fred is one of the many players we're talking through as far as their futures with the franchise."

This story will be updated through the day as information becomes available. The Jaguars have scheduled a 1:30 p.m. news conference to discuss its decision.

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taken from http://www.news4jax.com/sports/18724070/detail.html#-

Damn, a stand up dude, and a helluva running back in his prime, i still think Fred can get his corey dillon, curtis martin on for a few more years...

peace