NFL Insiders Ross Mandel & Ralph Mancini break down the Jason Taylor trade and other hot topics from around the league.

TAYLOR DEALT TO ‘SKINS
The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010 for Taylor. The six-time Pro Bowl defensive end -- who was the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year -- fell out of favor in Miami after spending his offseason on the TV show Dancing With the Stars rather than working out with teammates. The deal came about nine hours after starting defensive end Phillip Daniels was carted away from the practice field at Redskins Park with a season-ending left knee injury on Day 1 of training camp. Taylor is expected to report to training camp on Monday. "We're fortunate there was a guy that caliber on the market when somebody got hurt," Vinny Cerrato said. "Normally, in most years, there's not a guy of that caliber on the market."

Mancini's Take: This is a win-win deal in that the Dolphins rids themselves of a malcontent, who doesn't want to have anything to do with the necessary rebuilding the team is faced with, while the 'Skins get a premiere defensive end/outside linebacker, who'll play a huge role in turning around a middling pass rush. Washington's 33 sacks last season had them ranked 16th overall, but their ability to pressure the quarterback became significantly worse as the season progressed. The burgundy and gold registered a paltry seven sacks in their last five games. Taylor's lethal first step and his ability to cause fumbles give his new team a player who can decide games. The one downfall here for GM Vinny Cerrato and company is if Taylor decides to only play one more year, as he recently suggested. What's your take, Mandel? Will he stick around for the next few years or will he be playing the role of the Mad Hatter in the next Batman movie?

Mandel's Take: Not that the Skins were rooting for Phillip Daniels to get injured during the team's first practice, but as soon as he got hurt the Taylor trade became elementary and the Redskins upgraded tremendously at the position. I think Twinkletoes will wait and see how this season goes before he decides on his future beyond that. The Redskins desperately needed a body on the defensive line and the Dolphins desperately wanted to jettison a guy who wasn't psyched to be there and certainly won't be around by the time they reach the playoff-contender level. As the good Rev said, it's a win-win situation.

REDSKINS DE UPDATE
Washington Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels, who was hurt in the morning practice, will undergo surgery to repair his torn left anterior cruciate ligament Friday. Second-year defensive end Alex Buzbee, who was hurt 30 minutes into the afternoon practice, has a ruptured right Achilles' tendon and will miss the season, obviously. He will have surgery Monday. Washington traded for injured defensive end Erasmus James, but he is not close to being ready to play right now as he recovers from knee surgery, and is likely to begin the season on PUP. The Redskins have traded for Jason Taylor of Miami.

Mancini's Take: The injury to Daniels means that the 'Skins will have to do without a strong run defender whose effectiveness as a pass rusher had been on a steady decline. With Taylor in the fold, players such as Chris Wilson and Demetric Evans will have to come in and add some thump to Washington's run defense. The 240-pound Wilson is more of a part-timer, but stepped in nicely last season with four sacks. Buzbee won't be missed since he was nothing more than a bench warmer, who didn't see any time in the regular defense.

Mandel's Take: Could the season have started any worse for the Redskins? They must be afraid Taylor will get hurt as soon as he steps on the field! Even with the addition of Taylor, Washington is extremely thin on the line.

DOLPHINS QB BATTLE SET TO START
Though quarterback Josh McCown is considered by many to be the front-runner because of experience, the Miami Dolphins have told NFL people the battle remains competitive with John Beck, and preseason performance will determine the winner. Several players thought McCown was better in May/June drills, but another starter favored Beck. Chad Henne remains an underdog, though nobody would be shocked if he was starting at some point this season. McCown, who is OK after his wood-chopping accident, has impressed with athleticism and mobility, but his accuracy must improve.

Mancini's Take: Another thing McCown must improve is his decision making, but overall I'd have to say that the former Raider is the best choice to start in the early going. At 6'4" 215 lbs., not only is McCown sturdier than John Beck, but he can also gun the ball downfield. Henne's time will come once Miami's offensive line starts to gel. Putting the athletically-challenged Henne behind an inexperienced line would be ill-advised.

Mandel's Take: I'm going to disagree with the Rev here and say that Beck, not McCown, will be the starter for week one. The former BYU gunslinger has added some much-needed bulk and is drawing rave reviews for his off-season work ethic. Dedication like that is something that the Tuna and his coaches dig, and something players notice. To me, McCown is more of a reliever--an energizer who can sub in if necessary. That being said, Chad Henne might be starting by week six, once the Fish are eliminated from the playoffs. The ex-Wolverine is the future...or at least more of the future than the other two options.

CULPEPPER REACHES OUT TO LIONS
Quarterback Daunte Culpepper has contacted the Detroit Lions to see if they are interested in signing a quarterback before the start of training camp. The contact by Culpepper has been confirmed by a Lions official. It is not known when Culpepper called the team's management, but it is believed to be earlier this month. There is no indication that the Lions are in the market to add a quarterback before training camp starts. Players report to the team's Allen Park headquarters on Wednesday. The first practice is Thursday morning. In other Lions news, free agent linebacker Takeo Spikes paid a vist to Detroit.

Mancini's Take: C-Pepp does have something to offer, but I don't think Detroit is an ideal landing spot for the journeyman. Coach Rod Marinelli seems content with having Jon Kitna lead the charge with Drew Stanton at the ready in case the 36-year-old Kitna continues being a turnover machine. As I've said previously, Culpepper would be terrific as Tony Romo's backup in Dallas. He could step in and unleash his cannon arm to connect with deep threats Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn (if healthy). Current backup Brad Johnson's dishrag arm will make Dallas' offense considerably weaker in the event that Romo goes down for any period of time. Are you with me on this, prescient one?

Mandel's Take: Do you think Culpepper showed up outside the Lions training facility with a sign saying "Will throw for contract"? I agree that he'd be a decent pickup for Dallas, but Daunte wants to play and he won't play in Dallas unless Romo gets injured. Kitna is old and has thrown more INTs than TDs in the past two seasons. Culpepper sees Detroit as a better fit for playing time, and I agree with him. Kitna won't have to get hurt for him to get some PT in Motown. Besides, can't you see the fans chanting for him in week two after the third Kitna INT?

TEXANS TO RUN HEAVILY
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that Texans head coach Gary Kubiak wants his offense to be more run-oriented in 2008, stating that he does not want to pass 30-35 times a game.

Mancini's Take: Yeah, yeah..."We want to run the ball, stop the run and win the turnover battle." Somebody stop me if you haven't heard these same ol' tired coachisms at least 1,000 times already. So now Kubiak wants to run the ball. No kidding. Who doesn't? Does Coach K have the defense to allow the Texans to dictate their game plan and not be dictated to? The additions of o-linemen Chris Myers and rookie Duane Brown are sure to make Houston's running game at least slightly better, but Ahman Green is an injury waiting to happen, as is Chris Brown. Rookie Steve Slaton, on the other hand, is an undersized back who will probably see his touches be limited. Similarly, Darius Walker is a 205-pound scatback. Former Indiana product, Chris Taylor, has the size and toughness to emerge in Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme. Taylor is definitely one to watch.

Mandel's Take: I'm in the minority here--I think the Texans can get a full season out of the Brown/Green combo. If each back is limited in his touches, the potential is also limited. Say what you want about Brown, but he's been effective when he's run the ball. Sure, one of those guys may miss a couple of games, but I'm a Slaton believer. He'll be able to fill in and perform well in the Texans' system. Kubiak's boys are going to have a solid offensive season and if the defense comes around, they'll be playoff bound.

PORTER TO BE READY FOR WEEK ONE
Jaguars WR Jerry Porter is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a hamstring tendon that has been slow to heal, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said Friday. The Jaguars are hopeful that Porter will be ready for the Sept. 7 season opener at Tennessee. "Jerry had a successful surgical repair to a hamstring tendon that had continued to bother him," Del Rio said. "We expect a complete recovery in time for the regular season."

Mancini's Take: Porter was brought in to add the elements of size and speed in one package, but this latest injury certainly puts a damper on things. The question now is: Who among Jacksonville's receivers steps in to fill Porter's void? Ernest Wilford is now with Miami and Reggie Williams did score 10 touchdowns last year, but he did that primarily as a number three receiver. In previous years, the 6'4" Williams had big problems creating separation when going up against top corners as a starter. Mistake-prone Troy Williamson does have the ability to separate, but has catching issues and is a clueless route runner. While a sleeper in this mix may be Mike Walker, who has to the deep speed to make up for Porter's temporary loss. I'd also anticipate Maurice Jones-Drew seeing a few more balls tossed his way.

Mandel's Take: Terrible news for the Jags. They're saying Porter will be back for week one, but come on. He's new in town, and working with the new offense is essential for the new guy--some chemistry needs to be established with David Garrard. Now, that won't happen. Porter is way behind and that's not even taking the injury into consideration. Hamstrings are sort of important to speed receivers and there's simply no guarantee that Porter's injury won't linger. The Jaguars need to find some insurance--their WR corps was average at best last season and with Wilford gone and Porter hurt, it becomes a liability despite Garrard's maturation.

CHAD JACKSON HAS HIGH HOPES
Entering his third NFL season, New England's Chad Jackson is finally healthy and focused, positioned to capitalize on his tantalizing talent, provide the Patriots with another option at receiver, and prove wrong those who have already anointed him Bethel Johnson 2.0, a speedy pass-catcher who plays better in shorts than he does in shoulder pads. Few Patriots players have as much to gain - or lose - during training camp as Jackson, for whom the Patriots traded up to take with the 36th overall selection in the 2006 draft. In his first two seasons, the former University of Florida standout had 13 receptions for 152 yards and three touchdowns. "It could be a big year for me," said Jackson. "I hope it is, and I'm going to work hard to make it a big year because I need one."

Mancini's Take: Jackson has the wheels to be a major weapon. Jackson's deep speed can help compensate for the loss of Donte' Stallworth and open things up for Randy Moss. Can you give us a tarot reading on the fortunes of Jackson, Rosstradamus?

Mandel's Take: The crystal ball says "Invest". This year, it may be Jackson's turn on the New England WR wheel of prosperity. He's got good size and speed and appears highly motivated. Jackson's ceiling is higher than Jabar Gaffney's to me, and if Tom Brady connects with him in the pre-season, keep an eye out for him.