This has the potential to be a great move and complete steal for New England, assuming (and this is a huge if) Talib can stay out of trouble for the rest of the 2012 season. He is without question, one of the biggest jokers and criminals in the NFL (which is saying something). He's been suspended twice: once for fighting with a cab driver in August 2009 (somewhere Patrick Kane nods his approval) and he's currently serving a four-game suspension for a PED (Adderall) violation. He is eligible to come back in Week 11 when the Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts.
So what is all the fuss about? Well, he was the 20th overall pick of the 2008 draft out of Kansas and unlike pretty much all the cornerbacks and safeties the Patriots have drafted in the last five years, he has mostly lived up to his enormous potential. For his career, he has 18 interceptions including three that he returned for touchdowns. Despite being on a team that has been constantly rebuilding, he managed to put up four picks in 2008, five in 2009 and six (in 11 games) in 2010.
At the moment, the Pats don't have a true No. 1 cornerback. A cynic would add, they don't really have a second one either. He's 26 so in the prime of his career and he has good size: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, something which the Patriots lack in the back end. Talib suddenly changes that equation if he can get up to speed with the playbook. Maybe he can even teach his new teammates in the secondary to turn their heads. I have to believe a guy with his stats can do that. This move is the reason why New England released Sterling Moore yesterday. With this week off, who knows what the Patriots' secondary will look like against the Bills in a week then the Colts? We could see Patrick Chung and Steve Gregory back on the field at safety with Devin McCourty and Talib at cornerback. Or maybe McCourty stays at safety.
Above all, this shows that head coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the front office were willing to publicly admit what everybody already knows: their secondary is a disaster and the biggest obstacle they have to overcome if they want to win the Super Bowl in February. Talib might be a complete bust (doubtful given his on-field track record) but at least they were willing to take the risk, midseason no less.
UPDATE 11/2: Today, Sterling Moore was signed to the Patriots' practice squad. Here is how New England's practice squad, which has one open spot with just seven current members, looks at this moment:
FB James Develin
WR Jarred Fayson
DL Marcus Forston
OL Matt Kopa
CB Sterling Moore
WR Greg Salas
OL Jeremiah Warren
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