It's likely Miami defensive end Jason Taylor won't be back with the Dolphins. New management, namely Bill Parcells, didn't like that Taylor skipped offseason activities to participate in Dancing with the Stars.

That leads to the question: Should the Browns go after the former University of Akron star?

Greg Simms of the Dayton Daily News seems to think so. While it would be nice, the cost for Taylor could be too high. The Dolphins reportedly turned down Jacksonville's offer of a first-round pick before the draft for Taylor.

But Taylor's trade value has decreased recently after Miami head coach Tony Sparano said the six-time Pro Bowl selection will sit out training camp. Terms like "disgruntled" and "boycott" are now associated with Taylor, which means he could possibly be had for a second day draft pick. It all depends on if the Dolphins will budge because Parcells has said Taylor will either be a Dolphin this year or retire.

Matt Williamson (also a former Akron guy) of ESPN's Scout's Inc. said the Dolphins should expect a third rounder for Taylor. Unfortunately for us, the Browns traded next year's third-round pick to Dallas to take Martin Rucker.

So then, is Taylor worth a second-round pick? Consider that Taylor's 34 and was a little spotty last season when the Dolphins used a 3-4 base on defense. In those formations, also, Taylor often played strong-side outside linebacker, where Kamerion Wimbley plays.

Also consider that Taylor probably only has only another two or three good years left in him and that he's seen his tackle total drop the last three years.

On the flip side, in the past three seasons, Taylor has 36.5 sacks and an incredible 18 forced fumbles. He's also bigger and, arguably, faster than any member of Browns' linebackers.

Taylor has said he wants to play for a contending team, which the Browns can now be considered, but so can Jacksonville and Washington, the two likeliest trading partners for Miami.

After all that, is two good years of Jason Taylor worth a second-round pick in 2009? Put on those trading shoes Phil Savage, it's time to dance. (And yes, the above picture is supposed to give you nightmares)

Notes…
Carlos "Big C" Holmes of the Dayton Daily News writes that the Browns got a steal in linebacker Beau Bell. Holmes talked with the guy who trained Bell prior to the draft, so his opinion is probably a little biased.

As it is, Bell may be a steal, but I wouldn't look for him to start immediately for the Browns.

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That seems to be what head coach Romeo Crennel was intimating at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club Monday. Bentley has missed the last two seasons with a serious patellar tendon injury he suffered in the Browns' first 11-on-11 practice during training camp in 2006. I was at camp that day and it was clear Bentley was in big trouble. However, I never expected him to miss quite this much time.

Whether or not he can return to being the Pro Bowl player he was for the Saints in 2005 is tough to say. The Browns don't require current center Hank Fraley to move around much, so maybe Bentley can fit back in.

Notes…
The headline "Chudzinski looking for better results in 2008" from this article in the Plain Dealer caught my eye. The Browns had one of the better offenses last season and it say a lot about the offensive coordinator that he didn't think it was good enough.

ESPN.com recently released its first set of NFL power rankings for the 2008 season. They rank the Browns ninth, which is great. That translates into the team being sixth best in the AFC, but just behind the Steelers (7th). James Walker writes about the Browns: The 2007 darlings face high expectations. The offense will score. Can the D, anchored by additions Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, hold up its end?

Troubles for defensive back Kenny Wright continue. If one of the undrafted rookies looks good this offseason, there is no reason Wright should remain on the team. Character should always supersede average depth.

Still don't know much about fourth round pick Beau Bell? Here's a video of the linebacker:

By now, you're probably aware of Matt Walsh, the former New England Patriots lackey accused of taping coaching signals. The whole mess — not-so-cleverly referred to as SpyGate — began when the Patriots were caught spying on the New York Jets.

Eventually, the Boston Herald wrote that Walsh taped the Rams prior to the 2002 Super Bowl. A whole can of worms was sitting waiting to be opened, yadda yadda yadda, a senator got involved, yadda yadda. You know the story. It's pointless for me to re-hash the whole thing.

Anyway, Walsh just handed over the other tapes he made to the NFL. One of them is of the Browns in 2001. That's right, someone was taping the team during its juggernaut 7-9 season. Clearly, Patriots coach Bill Belichick wasn't trying to get coaching tips from Butch Davis.

Notes…
This season will be the last for outside linebacker Willie McGinest. The Browns signed McGinest to a three-year contract in 2006. Some consider the signing a flop, but it's neither that or a boom. McGinest is just kind of there. He has some impact on young players and does a good job on running downs. The problem is that he's been injury prone and has clearly lost a step.

The Browns will have OTAs next week. They're not open to the public. It should be interesting to hear how new defensive linemen Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers adapt to the new team and the 3-4. Braylon Edwards missed the first day of last year's OTAs and it caused a bit of a stir. Hopefully nothing like that happens this year.

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe wrote in his notes that the Browns could be simplifying their defense. Read the full article here.

The Browns added considerable bulk in the form of defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams this offseason, but they're trimming down in other areas. Coach Romeo Crennel is considering simplifying the defense as the club transitions to a new coordinator in Mel Tucker. The Browns gave up more first downs than every team but the Lions and were one of the league's worst units against the run. Crennel apparently thinks it might have been a result of players being overloaded, so look for the Browns to get back to basics.

Unless this is about simplifying thing for the group of young defensive backs, I'm not sure this is a wise decision with the addition of veterans on the line. In theory, they should be able to handle whatever Crennel and Tucker throw at them.

Mary Cay Kabot of the Plain Dealer writes that inside linebacker Andra Davis is looking to bounce back from an off season.

The problem? It's been more than just one off season for Davis. He just doesn't seem to be a natural fit for the 3-4. Davis handled the off year admirably and got his pay cut significantly. Too bad this can't happen with more players.