Is Aqib Talib Worth The Hassle?
March 29th, 2011
Joe has made no secret that he believes Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik should give Tanard Jackson a parting gift for participating with the Bucs.
There may not be a better safety in the NFL than Jackson. But the guy cannot — allegedly — stay away from the smoke and that hippie lettuce — allegedly — is more important to him than his teammates or his career (he is due to be a free agent shortly but he’ll be lucky to make the NFL minimum as opposed to the megamillions his talent would normally bring).
In short, you cannot count on Jackson. At all. If he plays a game when his suspension is lifted, that would be more surprise than expectation. And he’s on his last chance. Next time he is popped, he will have to hope the UFL or CFL will want his services; his NFL days will be over.
Bucs troubled cornerback Aqib Talib is dangerously close to Jackson’s territory for far more troubling reasons.
It has come to the point that Bucs fans expect Talib to be in some sort of hassle with the law… or with his teammates… or with his coaches… or with NFL warden commissioner Roger Goodell.
As Joe wrote yesterday, Talib’s incidents are growing increasingly more violent. Whatever the Bucs are doing or the state of Florida did to curb his anger issues clearly are not working. If this pattern of Talib’s violent behavior takes the next step, well, Joe will let you come to the very frightening conclusion.
In short, is all of this nonsense worth it for the Bucs? Veteran sports columnist Gary Shelton isn’t too sure. The longtime respected sports voice of the St. Petersburg Times wonders if the Bucs should just turn Talib loose when the new CBA is agreed upon.
For a long time now, Talib has been a talented troublemaker, a walking bad decision followed by controversy and headed toward scandal. He does not hear the scolding, he is impervious to lapel-shaking, and he is beyond the benefit of doubt. The drugs in college. The fights with teammates. The assault. The suspension. And now this.
Here’s a question: Can Talib’s career withstand another scandal?
Here’s another: Should it?
Shelton even goes so far as to wonder if Bucs coaches or management are simply enabling Talib instead of bringing the hammer down upon him. It’s a fair question.
Let’s be frank: If charges are brought against Talib, is shooting at a person any worse or better than being popped for intent to sell pot?
March 29th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
It all depends on if he will learn from this. Yes he has made many mistakes but he has too much talent for us to just throw him away.
This validates Doms draft strategy even more; which is going after high character guys and team leaders even more.
Isn’t it funny that the ONE guy the previous regime drafted that is worth anything comes with this kind of baggage. I doubt Dom would have drafted him.
March 29th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Gary, I agree but Dom was the head of our scouting department if I remember correctly and he was big on Talib. source: buccaneers.com postdraft
March 29th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Isn’t there a bigtime free agent out there that we discussed before. Prince something? I say sign him now.
March 29th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
come on tanard is coming back and having a monster year, im sure he can quit the weed its not hard and hes not a bad guy for smoking something thats legal in almost half the states.. as far as talib.. he’s a beast and performs at a high level, do not let him loose!!! trade them if anything BUT who cares what these dudes do outside the football field i dont care about a dui (shelton) or tresspassing (geno) or battery (pittman, who was the real super bowl mvp) get the best players with the best talent who can execute the coachs gameplan on the field, nuff’ said!
March 29th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
The problem is that one of the hardest things to treat are behavioral disorders. For the most part a person’s personality is ingrained at a young age through a combo of genetics and environment. You don’t change your overall behavior due to a few sessions with a court appointed counselor, nor do you because there is money to gained or lost. It’s a slow process and takes a lot of time/effort if it happens at all.
There’s no doubt in my mind had Talib not been an outstanding athlete and football player he would be in prison right now. Structure is one of the few things that can delay this, but obviously when you’re talking about a grown man with money in his pocket and increased freedom due to a nfl lockout you’re talking about trouble.
Best of luck to him, I hope it’s not too late but it may be.
March 29th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
“Prince something?” – Dew
You’re kidding right?? Maybe you should stick to TmZ.com…
March 29th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
@HIRE GREG OLSON! And you thought Cam Newton wouldn’t be a top 10 pick. Fool.
March 29th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Thank u HGO, I was just about to jump on that one as well lol. Dew was trying to be clever, and it blew up in his face.
March 29th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
maybe cut the retard and snag asamouga???….he will cost a lot, but then you have one of the best corners in place and can look to have filler at least at the other spot along with ronde….just a thought….adam from ny
March 29th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
I said he shouldn’t be a top 10 pick. Not that he wouldn’t. But with your incredible reading comprehension skills, I’m not surprised…
March 29th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
“I don’t know his name or really who I’m talking about, but I say SIGN HIM NOW.” – Dew
Looks like somebody went to the Al Davis School of Running a Franchise into the Ground…
March 29th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
@ Dew……what the hell are u talking about? what does Cam Newton being a top 10 pick have to do with you not knowing what you’re talking about? u say “a big time free agent….Prince something”. the only Prince is Prince Amukamara, a player who will be drafted next month. pretty sure the big time free agent u were trying to cleverly hint at is Nnamdi Asomugha. they both have unusual names, so they must be the same guy right??
March 29th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
sounds like a cartoon…..talib weilding a gun and shooting in the air at some dude who’s scrambling away with his pants at his ankles while yelling “stay away from my 14 year old sisters poo-nanny”…..or maybe it just qualifies as an episode of jerry springer…..adam from ny
March 29th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
@Big Marlon B Says. Thanks. Yes, I couldn’t remember his name or spelling. 🙂
March 29th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
and im hearing that league minimum salary cap will be heavily enforced under the eventual new collective bargaining agreement…might not be a bad idea to spend away on a top flight corner like namdi asamouga for both reasons…get a great corner with ultra high morals and meet your payroll quota on a team that over the past few years is clearly bottom feeding like a flounder in the sea…adam from ny
bye bye aqib the dweeb!!
March 29th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
its official….aqib talib should now be refered to as:
AQIB THE DWEEB
March 29th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
What makes you think that? If it’s that easy, why did Jackson wait until he smoked millions of dollars away and nearly his career away?
March 29th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
It is Talib who is throwing things away, not the Bucs. Millions of things away.
If the Bucs cut him, even if someone (Raiders?) pick him up, it will be far, far less than what he is currently making.
March 29th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I say we keep Talib if he’s not guilty. If we have to move on, I think Asamougha is too old (31 in sept) and too expensive (12-15 mil). I would rather have Jonathan Joesph, 27, Bengals at half the price.
March 29th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Macabee:
Golf clap!
March 29th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@ Dew….if you don’t even know the name of one of the top 2 corners in the game, why the hell are u wasting your time posting on a football message board?? go see what Lindsay Lohan is doing, or who Justin Beiber is currently dating…
March 29th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Man. Aholes have taken over your board Joe. Sorry I brought it up. <No need to go blasting everyone Dew. — Joe>
March 29th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Man, why do we insist on playing the what if game or, worse, the crucifixion game before all the facts are available?
Once we find out what exactly happened with Talib, then let’s decide…
March 29th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
Dew = Typical Tampa Goober sports fan…
March 29th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Gary- lmao- that’s funny! The curse of the wretched Lil Chuckie continues! His one decent player he somehow managed to aquire, proves to be so mental that he will probably be imprisoned. God, I still can’t get over how many draft picks they wasted.I agree about Dom not drafting this guy. We need to man up, sign an intelligent shutdown CB,and get rid of this idiot before he kills someone. Probably do it wearing his Bucs Jersey. I don’t care what other opinions are out there. We should sign Nnamdi and move on. Despite how some people are crying, this team has a ton of money that they have to spend. Spending some on a high character CB is nothing but smart.
You wanna face Brees and Ryan with Biggers, Lewis, Mack, Grimm, and jones as your secondary??? You’ll be grateful for the Blackouts! Those kids will probably develop into great players- but to throw basically 3 1st year players into the secondary- teamed with Mack and Jones!!- you’re nuts! Barber may have a great year left in him. I hope so. But at 38, he has to be our shutdown guy! Again- you’re nuts!
March 29th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
The Bucs already have.
If not for Mo Stovall whiffing on a tackle on a kickoff, the Bucs would have been 2-0 with such a secondary against Atlanta and New Orleans.
March 29th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Both Tanard and Aquib will be here for longer than people think. Sean Jones is no answer. As far as Aquib goes he is an elite talent at corner, he would have most likely finished tops in interceptions last season if he hadnt got hurt. Yes, character matters BUT he hasnt been charged and simply put he matters too much to the Bucs and Rah.
March 29th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
The CFL won’t take him. After Ricky Williams, the CFL adopted a policy to honor all NFL suspensions/bans.
March 29th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
AQIB THE DWEEB IS IN DEEP DOO-DOO…I TAUGHT HIM EVERYTHING HE KNOWS…HE SAW ME LETTING LOOSE WITH THE SHOTTY AND SAID “MA PASS THE PEANUTS”…SO I TOSSED HIM THE OLE’ GLOCK AND TOLD THE BOY TO “DO THAT PUNK AS DEAD BEAT SCRUB WHO’S BANGING MY CRACK HEAD DAUGHTER”….AND LIKE A GOOD SON AQIB OBEYED MAMA’S COMMAND AND WENT BUCK-WILD…ONCE AGAIN!!
March 29th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
MY SON PLAIN AND SIMPLE IS A BAD BOY…..I TAUGHT HIM EVERYTHING HE KNOWS TO…SHAME ON MY SON “THE DWEEB” FOR LISTENING TO BIG BAD MAMA
March 29th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
ME AND MY SON AQUIB THE DWEEB ARE OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “MUSHMOUSE & PUMPKIN PUSS”….JUST LIKE THE CARTOON…WE BE SLINGIN SHOTTIES LIKE ITS NOTHING SON.
SINCERELY, WACKY MAMA TALIB
March 29th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
what happens when you add the lets “A” and “N” to TALIB ?
you get TALIBAN
YIKES!!!
March 29th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
what happens when you add a “the douche” to the end of your name.
you get “adam from ny the douche”
March 29th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ADD JELLY TO JESSE J ?
YOU GET JESSE THE JELLY ASS WHO SPENDS MOST OF HIS TIME ON ALL 4’S….ALL LUBED UP WITH JELLY TAKING C*CK IN THE BUTT-TOOCHAS
March 29th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
Good one? I think the all caps went a long way in the intimidation factor,douche from ny.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:31 am
ok jesse the jockstrap…sniff away ball boy
March 30th, 2011 at 12:32 am
and yes jesticle i am doing your wife