The Patriots made a move to bolster their secondary by trading for Talib.
The New England Patriots secondary was in desperate need of a shakeup, and Bill Belichick took a gamble to make one happen.
The Patriots coach made a move Thursday just before the trade deadline to acquire talented but troubled cornerback Aqib Talib and a 2013 seventh-round pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In exchange, the Bucs received a 2013 fourth-round pick. Talib is in the final year of his deal.
At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Talib brings plus-coverage ability to a secondary that ranks 28th in passing yards allowed per game and is in desperate need of help. Over five seasons, he’s recorded 18 interceptions and 53 passes defensed.
However, his talent comes at a price.
Talib was suspended four games for testing positive for Adderall in October and has one game remaining in his suspension, meaning that he will not be able to enter team facilities until after Week 10.
Previously, he was involved in a fistfight at the rookie symposium and once swung his helmet at another player. He was suspended in 2009 for allegedly beating a cab driver, and a warrant was issued for his and his mother’s arrest after they were accused of shooting a gun at his sister’s boyfriend.
But Belichick has never been afraid of taking on troubled players he feels are worth the risk and can be saved by the New England system. While the price wasn’t cheap, Talib is a quality coverage cornerback, and the fact that the Bucs stuck with him throughout his various incidents is a testament to his ability.
That ability is badly needed in the Patriots secondary. The team is averaging 281 passing yards per game allowed and has surrendered 44 plays of 15 or more yards, the most in the NFL.
If the system can fix the 26-year-old Talib and get him on the right path, New England likely landed a player that will immediately improve that situation.
Similar gambles worked in the past with such players as Randy Moss and Corey Dillon. Other times they’ve fallen flat, as with Albert Haynesworth last year.
Either way, Belichick saw an area of need and took the steps he felt necessary to fix it.
