Dolphins linebacker Jason Taylor and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady share a friendship, injury-filled disappointing 2008 seasons and, until the Dolphins traded Taylor to Washington in 2008, status as their teams' signature players. They could've shared a locker room this season.

Instead, they just share the AFC East (again) and a renaissance. And Brady wishes it weren't so.

``I was a little disappointed when he signed back [with the Dolphins],'' Brady said only half-jokingly. ``I thought that once he left for Washington I'd never have to play him again.''

Nobody's sacked Brady more -- ``That's because I have played him a lot of times,'' Taylor said -- and it's a given that if the Dolphins don't crowd Brady's workspace Sunday, he'll strafe the Dolphins as mercilessly as he did Tennessee (59-0) and Tampa Bay (35-7).

Asked if he thought Brady was back from the knee injury that wiped out his 2008 season, Taylor replied, ``I never thought he went anywhere. I know he got hurt and couldn't play for a while, but as far as I was concerned, he was never anybody different.''

It could also be asked if the pre-2007 Jason Taylor, the annual Pro Bowler counted on to blow up offenses, is back. The first five games, Taylor looked closer to being a try-hard 35-year-old former defensive end who won the strongside linebacker starting job via training camp walkover.

HIS OLD SELF

Then, over the past two games, against New Orleans and the Jets, Taylor picked up two sacks, two fumbles forced, one pass batted down, and one fumble recovered and run back for his NFL-record sixth fumble return touchdown.

``He's back to his usual playing style and he's playing great football, leads the team in sacks,'' Brady said. ``When he makes plays, the entire team rallies around it. We have to try to do a good job of trying to keep him out of the backfield and certainly keeping him out of the end zone. He was in the end zone last week after the fumble recovery [against the Jets], and he's been in the end zone a couple other times versus us.''

That's why the Patriots, experts at wringing the last good years out of veteran players, called Taylor when Washington cut him. How much chance the Patriots had of signing Taylor is questionable.

Part of the reason Washington released Taylor was he wanted to spend the offseason in South Florida with his wife and three kids instead of with the Redskins offseason program. Anyone who knows how much Taylor wants to be a good father knew he didn't like being a pop-in papa during the 2008 season, when he would fly down from the Washington area during off days.

That gave the Dolphins a leg up on the Patriots -- if they wanted Taylor, that is. Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said on April 3 the Dolphins would consider signing Taylor but had to consider whether Taylor would be a ``progress stopper'' for younger players.

No welcome mat words there. Yet the Dolphins had even less enthusiasm for the possibility of Taylor wearing a New England uniform.

``I am not going to lie, that conversation took place,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. ``In other words, we were aware that was a possibility in that, I am starting to add up, Adalius Thomas, Jason Taylor and some of those guys over there. That is something I think you give consideration to certainly.

``But at the end of the whole thing, it is really how that particular player fits you,'' Sparano continued. ``You don't just want to take him because somebody else is going to take him. You have to have vision for him and I think that this offseason we clearly had a vision for him and a role defined here.''

That role was third-down pass rusher and, if Taylor beat out incumbent Matt Roth, strongside linebacker.

Taylor, who would've made $8 million with Washington on that contract, so badly wanted to reassume his roles of football player and family man in South Florida, he signed for the 10-year veteran minimum base salary of $845,000 with a $655,000 signing bonus.

BACK TO WORK

Then, he went to work learning his new position. When he wasn't doing that during training camp, the still-active career sacks leader was working on pass rush fundamentals with defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and teammate Joey Porter.

``It's been fun for me,'' Taylor said. ``There is no day when I come in and feel that I have to search for something to work on. I can always put the film in and see 10 things that I need to work on so every day on the grass is a chance for me to work on those things. I try to be a sponge for Pasqualoni and [linebackers coaches] George Edwards and Jim Reid and [defensive backs coach] Todd Bowles.''

While learning a new position ``does keep you going, but that thing that really gets me going is on Sunday.''

Especially Sundays against good enemies and friends.