"Fred Taylor has reported to Gillette Stadium every day, a smile on his face, ready to do whatever he can to help the Patriots.

He has maintained a positive attitude amid one of his most trying seasons, and has done it so well he feels no one in or around the team has a true understanding of how frustrating his 13th NFL season has been.

But to talk to Taylor, one gets the impression that this could be his last season. He said yesterday that the time for him to call it a career is "extremely'' close."