Flash back to the 2008 NFL offseason, and you might remember when the hearts of Miami Dolphins fans everywhere ached over having watched their beloved team trade Jason Taylor, the face of the franchise, to the Washington Redskins.
After having racked up 117 sacks and 433 tackles in his first 11 seasons with Miami, Taylor's stat line took a nosedive upon arriving in the nation's Capitol.
In the 13 games he appeared in for the Redskins, Taylor started eight of them and totaled only 3.5 sacks and 21 tackles.
However, in his NFL Hall of Fame induction speech Saturday, Taylor made light of that subpar season while poking fun at Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
"I didn't give you much, two and a half sacks. Stole a lot of money from you, but I appreciate it," Taylor said.
Taylor shortchanged himself by a sack, but Washington fans certainly remember his price tag. The Redskins surrendered a second-round draft pick in 2009 and a sixth-rounder in 2010.
And had they not released Taylor following that 2008 NFL season, the Redskins would have owed the then 34-year-old veteran $8 million in the final year of his contract.
Taylor returned to Miami for two more seasons with a brief stint with the New York Jets sandwiched in between. During those final three seasons, he recorded 19 more sacks and 71 more tackles.
Had Taylor shown that kind of production with Washington, his stay with the Redskins might have been more than just a blip on what became a Hall of Fame career.
