NFL Free Agency: New England Patriots Might Part Ways with Aqib Talib
By Josh Hill
If you need to know anything about Aqib Talib look no further than Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans — or the taxi cab driver he beat half to death a few years ago. Talib is a former first round draft pick that wore out his welcome with his first team thanks to erratic and untrustworthy behavior and it’s looking like that’s carrying over to his second stint in the NFL.
The New England Patriots acquired Talib from the Bucs before the trade deadline with a short-term idea in mind. They wanted to use Talib in their push for another Super Bowl, but any plans the team had for the troubled cornerback past that were unknown to even them. Even still, with deadlines approaching and the offseason looming, the Patriots are unsure of what to do with Talib.
One of Talib’s biggest knocks while he was in Tampa was that he only gave a 100 percent effort half the time. Despite being in a new setting, Talib is still reluctant to give it his all and it’s becoming a sticking point for the Patriots now that Talib’s contract is up.
"According to the source, Talib passed on the chance to do extra work at times this year and there are questions as to how he’d handle a long-term deal. The Pats, said the source, would prefer to sign Talib to a one-year, make-good contract.– Mike Giardi, CSNNE.com"
If there’s one thing that has remained true about the Patriots, it’s that they only allow one player and one coach to have oversized egos. If your name isn’t Brady or Belichick you’d best get in line because there is little tolerance in New England for half efforts and insubordination.