Phil Taylor: The forgotten Washington Redskins defensive tackle

There was a time when Phil Taylor was a top NFL defensive lineman, but injuries have stymied his career and he is on his final chance with the Washington Redskins.

The summer of 2017 held a lot of promise for Phil Taylor. The Redskins coaches were encouraged with his work ethic and progress. He was working his way back to the football field after a series of injuries in previous seasons and with the team needing a dominant run stuffer, the early results in training camp and preseason games were very positive. However, Taylor faces the toughest obstacles in his career and the Redskins could move on later this summer from the 6-foot-3, 335-pound behemoth.

Taylor was raised in Clinton, MD and lived near the southern end of Andrews Air Force Base’s runways. After a stellar high school career at Gwynn Park High School, he chose the Penn State Nittany Lions as his next destination. He didn’t last very long in the Nittany Valley and was kicked off the team for being involved in a campus brawl. Taylor does not have a history of disciplinary issues, but this incident at Penn State was just the beginning of his difficulties.

Taylor would resurface at Baylor University and became a standout for the Bears. He was sidelined for two games with a painful turf toe injury in his first season in Waco but still had a solid season. With personal issues now behind him, Taylor was destined to be a star at the next level.

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Phil Taylor was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns and he was a lock to start in his rookie season. However, injuries would begin to take a toll on him while he was with the Browns. He had a concussion in 2013 that kept him out one game. A knee injury sidelined him for several games in 2014 and he would eventually be placed on injured reserve.

Unable to mount a comeback in 2015, Taylor was released by the Browns just prior to the season opener and was out of football altogether. The Denver Broncos signed him in early 2016, but Taylor had another knee injury in training camp and was placed on injured reserve and later released.

Injuries continued to plague the once promising career of Phil Taylor, but he would get another chance. He was signed by the Redskins just after the 2016 season on January 6, 2017. He looked good in training camp and the first two preseason games. However, Taylor would suffer a torn quadriceps muscle that would sideline him for the entire season.

In what can only be seen as his final chance, Phil Taylor signed with the Redskins once again on April 3, 2018. With an injury history that dates all the way back to his days at Baylor, Taylor is now “on the clock” and the odds are long for him to continue, but not entirely out of the question.

Can Phil Taylor produce a successful comeback after so many injuries and disappointments? No one should doubt his efforts and determination to do so after signing his latest contract, but the Redskins drafted two defensive linemen in late April and made Taylor’s path to return even more difficult.

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Daron Payne was taken in the first round and is a likely starter from day one. The Redskins also selected Virginia Tech’s defensive tackle Tim Settle in the fifth round and he could be a key contributor this season. Matt Ioannidis is a lock to make the roster after a sensational second season in 2017 and when you add in steady lineman Stacy McGee, the path for Taylor seems impossible. However, this doesn’t mean he should throw in the towel.

Next: Projecting Redskins starters before training camp

No doubt about it, Phil Taylor is facing very long odds when training camp commences and the preseason games are factored in. He can still make the roster if there are multiple injuries on the defensive line or he simply regains his superior skillsets as were demonstrated several years ago. Neither scenario is realistic, but Taylor could make an impression on a team in need of a defensive tackle later this summer and this would allow him to have a chance of continuing in the sport. Perhaps such a team could offer a late round conditional pick for his services – a possibility that benefits Taylor and the Redskins.

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