FanHouse Shawn Crable

After an injury-filled, $8 million season in Washington, Jason Taylor was back on the free-agent market this spring. Several teams needing a pass rusher showed interest, including the Patriots, who had previously traded veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs.

Taylor ended up in Miami, where he started his career and played for 10 seasons. It was one of the few examples of a player turning down a chance to join the Pats; head coach and evil genius Bill Belichick has an incredible knack for convincing free agents -- through Charles Manson-styled brainwashing, no doubt -- to come to Foxboro. Not this time.

After a paid holiday in DC last year, Jason Taylor is back in Miami, where he spent the first 10 years of his career. But at 34, his role has changed. Taylor is no longer the focus of the defense, the pass-rushing specialist who averaged nearly 12 sacks a season during his time with the Dolphins.

Instead, he'll be used sparingly, in an effort to keep him fresh, healthy, and productive. Via the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero:

Kyle Boller started the Ravens' first preseason game last night, and for the most part, he fared well. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 102 yards, but it was his inability to minimize mistakes that overshadowed an otherwise solid effort.

During Baltimore's second possession, Boller fumbled while scrambling out of the pocket, and then, late in the first half, he threw an interception because he didn't see Patriots linebacker Shawn Crable as he stepped in front of Ravens tight end Adam Bergen.

Turnovers were the main reason Boller failed to hold on to the starting job under former coach Brian Billick. Some wondered whether Boller would find success under new coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, but the sixth-year quarterback couldn't shake his old problems tonight.

It's these sorts of lapses that could land Boller on the bench, even though backup Troy Smith is entering his second season.

First-year head coach John Harbaugh admitted that Boller "did some really good things," but at some point, the six-year veteran will need to put it all together if he doesn't want to add his name to a list that includes such luminaries as Tony Banks, Elvis Grbac and Chris Redman.

He'll have to wait for his next chance, however; Smith will start the Ravens' next game. And the longer Boller waits, the less likely he'll be anything more than a backup. First-round pick Joe Flacco is the club's future, and while he wasn't particularly impressive last night (and, really, who would expect him to be), he'll be given a chance at the starting gig sooner rather than later.

Michigan, O Michigan, ye of the constant accusations of underachievement despite possessing the best record in college football over the past decade. My alma mater. My blog niche. My harsh, harsh mistress. Please don't suck this year.

WHY THEY'LL WIN

This part is easy: four potential All-Americans (Chad Henne, Mario Manningham, Jake Long, and Mike Hart) return on the offensive side of the ball. All save Hart are holy locks for the first round next year, assuming Manningham decides to enter early, and that's not even a full accounting of the myriad riches on the offense. There is also lanky emerging star Adrian Arrington, a version of Jason Avant with some extra deep threat attached, senior left guard Adam Kraus, a lock to be all-conference, and young offensive linemen Justin Boren and Steve Schilling, guaranteed to be stars sooner or later. There are even rumblings that tight end Carson Butler, kicked off the team for an assault he was later acquitted of, may return, which would shore up the one weakness on offense: jumbo blocker types at FB and TE. Most of that killer defense (save the last two games, yes) is gone, but guided missile Shawn Crable returns for his senior year along with fireplug defensive tackle Terrance Taylor. With Taylor on the defensive line will be two five-star recruits at defensive end, Tim Jamison and Brandon Graham (a man who Mike Hart described as "Lamarr Woodley but faster"), and defensive tackle Will Johnson, who played extensively and well last year. Sometimes Michigan even lifted leviathan Alan Branch for Johnson on third and short. Like, whoah. It won't be last year's thumping death machine, but it will probably be the best line in the conference anyway. On special teams, there is Zoltan the Inconceivable, a punter who is awesome and named Zoltan Mesko. He will punt opponents to death.