Dolphins drop the ball with Jason Taylor

Not so long ago, new Miami Dolphins Coach Tony Sparano used his cellphone to thumb out an encouraging message to Jason Taylor, who had just completed his first week on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Great job. You look quick. Keep eating. You’re taking coaching well. Talk to you soon.

Sparano’s latest communique to the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end was not a text message but subtext message – Adios, Jason – that was plainly obvious in the comments of the coach.

With almost no prompting this week, Sparano announced to reporters that Taylor wouldn’t be participating in any subsequent preseason work, including a mandatory minicamp in June and training camp, which starts in July.

Although Taylor remains on Miami’s roster, it would be shocking if he’s wearing a Dolphins uniform in September. In the first public-relations fumble of their new era, the franchise has managed not only to alienate its most accomplished player but potentially drive down his trade value in the process.

Sparano’s revelation was a jaw-dropper, and not just because the 12-year veteran has been one of the team’s most reliable fixtures. More surprising is that the Dolphins would make such a ham-handed declaration a full two months before the start of training camp. Where were the closed-door negotiations and cool-headed reasoning?

This is where things get murky. If Taylor has indeed threatened to sit out training camp unless the Dolphins trade him, that’s unquestionably selfish. But he has never said anything publicly that would indicate that’s the case, and now neither he nor agent Gary Wichard is talking about the situation.

The Dolphins aren’t elaborating either. Sparano delivered the message, but it obviously came from Bill Parcells, who was never in favor of Taylor’s dalliance with dancing and recently gave him the cold shoulder when Taylor stopped by team headquarters.

It has long been Parcells’ philosophy that he won’t let unhappy players “shoot their way out” and onto another roster.

Taylor wants to be elsewhere. At 34, he probably has only another year to play, and he desperately wants to finish his career with a contender. The Dolphins, who lost all but one game last season, are not going to be good for at least a couple of years.

The franchise tried in vain to trade him around last month’s draft, but its asking price of a first-round pick was far too high. Even though Taylor is a former NFL defensive player of the year and the league’s reigning man of the year, collecting more sacks over the last five years than any other player, he’s probably 16 games away from hanging up his cleats.

Not only that, but Taylor has his eye on a Hollywood career. He has taken acting classes for years, was runner-up in “Dancing With the Stars” and has had a host of meetings in recent weeks with a string of Hollywood heavyweights.

That might be a turnoff to prospective NFL employers – the types who turned up their noses at Matt Leinart – except that Taylor has proved himself to be the consummate professional. He doesn’t need to play football. He could retire right now and never work another day. It’s his competitiveness that keeps him in it.

As for Parcells, he has a long history of bullying and brow-beating players who present any hint of a challenge to his authority. In New England, the coach questioned Terry Glenn’s toughness when he referred to the receiver as “she.” With Terrell Owens, it was a battle of egos when Parcells refused to call him by name, instead referring to Owens as “the player.”

But Taylor is among the most respected players in the league, and certainly in the Miami locker room. He’s immensely popular with Dolphins fans and, through his charities, has done a lot to help the Miami community.

It makes no sense that Sparano and Parcells would try to pick a public fight with Taylor, especially when the 240-pound defensive end isn’t even a good fit for the 3-4 defense they want to run. Why not talk him up, get the best possible trade value for him, wish him luck and part friends?

As the situation is, Parcells looks smug, Taylor feels smeared, and things are bound to get even uglier. No dancing around that.

sam.farmer@latimes.com