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FOXBOROUGH — Mike Vrabel was already familiar with Darrell Taylor.
On Monday, the New England Patriots' head coach revealed to reporters that he had spoken with the veteran pass rusher in free agency before Taylor ultimately decided to sign with the Houston Texans.
"Well, we had conversations with him in free agency,” Vrabel said. "Ended up going somewhere else. And then, when he became available, we got together and had a conversation and were able to bring him in.”
During his lone season with the Texans, Taylor was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 5 because of an ankle injury and was activated last week. However, he was released by Houston on Monday ahead of the team's Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers to make room for safety Jaylen Reed.
So with that, he now has a unique opportunity to face his former team this weekend with a trip to the AFC Championship on the line.
"Definitely a little chip on my shoulder," Taylor exclusively told Patriots Wire. "But, doing everything I possibly can to help this team win because that's all I can do."
He could truly be a secret weapon for New England, having experience playing in the Texans' defense, which poses numerous challenges, while also bringing a high level of play to the Patriots.
"I'm a speed rusher that also incorporates power into his game," he explained. "I would say I can help out setting edges in the run game, and when it comes to pass, I can be versatile, whether it's rushing the edge with speed or just using counter moves to go back inside."
And he's excited about the opportunity to work with Vrabel, whom he explained as a guy who is always "wanting to win."
"I'm excited to be here and just happy to be a part of another playoff team," Taylor said, adding that it was "exciting" to get the call from New England. "Being able to have this opportunity right here means everything to me."
Across his five years in the league, Taylor has recorded 126 tackles, 24.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five passes defended.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots may have a secret weapon in Darrell Taylor vs Texans
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On Monday, the New England Patriots' head coach revealed to reporters that he had spoken with the veteran pass rusher in free agency before Taylor ultimately decided to sign with the Houston Texans.
"Well, we had conversations with him in free agency,” Vrabel said. "Ended up going somewhere else. And then, when he became available, we got together and had a conversation and were able to bring him in.”
During his lone season with the Texans, Taylor was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 5 because of an ankle injury and was activated last week. However, he was released by Houston on Monday ahead of the team's Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers to make room for safety Jaylen Reed.
So with that, he now has a unique opportunity to face his former team this weekend with a trip to the AFC Championship on the line.
"Definitely a little chip on my shoulder," Taylor exclusively told Patriots Wire. "But, doing everything I possibly can to help this team win because that's all I can do."
He could truly be a secret weapon for New England, having experience playing in the Texans' defense, which poses numerous challenges, while also bringing a high level of play to the Patriots.
"I'm a speed rusher that also incorporates power into his game," he explained. "I would say I can help out setting edges in the run game, and when it comes to pass, I can be versatile, whether it's rushing the edge with speed or just using counter moves to go back inside."
And he's excited about the opportunity to work with Vrabel, whom he explained as a guy who is always "wanting to win."
"I'm excited to be here and just happy to be a part of another playoff team," Taylor said, adding that it was "exciting" to get the call from New England. "Being able to have this opportunity right here means everything to me."
Across his five years in the league, Taylor has recorded 126 tackles, 24.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five passes defended.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots may have a secret weapon in Darrell Taylor vs Texans
Continue reading...
