Free Agent CB Aqib Talib a priority for Pats

[Marqui]

I think the improvement on D was due to the McCourty safety move mostly.

I don't know where people get this stuff from. McCourty was at safety in the 1st Jets game and the 2nd Bills game when their pass defense was horrific. And he was at safety when Flacco picked them apart in the playoffs.

 

[Sicilian]

I don't know where people get this stuff from. McCourty was at safety in the 1st Jets game and the 2nd Bills game when their pass defense was horrific. And he was at safety when Flacco picked them apart in the playoffs.

I don't think most people believe it was McCourty alone, but more the ripple effect. McCourty was an improvement at safety, Talib was an improvement at corner, and Arrington was an improvement at slot corner. Once Talib went down in Baltimore, it forced Arrington back outside and Cole to the slot, which didn't work out so well.

So I think the point was it's possible that it wasn't Talib himself that made the different, but just having a competent outside corner to allow the rest of the moves to solidify.

 

[Marqui]

So I think the point was it's possible that it wasn't Talib himself that made the different, but just having a competent outside corner to allow the rest of the moves to solidify.

Ok, but he didn't say that. And I'm not sure if that's 100% true. A big part of the defense was shadowing their biggest #1 WR with Talib, you can't do that effectively with "any competent corner".

 

[Brady2Moss]

I think Talib also brought a swagger to the defensive back group and made them believe they could be better than they had been the first 8 weeks of the season. The Defense needs a few more players with some balls.

 

[Sicilian]

Ok, but he didn't say that. And I'm not sure if that's 100% true. A big part of the defense was shadowing their biggest #1 WR with Talib, you can't do that effectively with "any competent corner".

It's an argument that's kind of been rehashed throughout multiple threads. I personally feel like Talib's impact on games was slightly overrated. I'd take him back, but I think his skillset is replaceable with a FA who doesn't have the risks he has, especially if we're talking about a long term contract.

 

[Spergon Wynn]

I don't know where people get this stuff from. McCourty was at safety in the 1st Jets game and the 2nd Bills game when their pass defense was horrific. And he was at safety when Flacco picked them apart in the playoffs.

2 game sample size?

 

[voluntarysaftey]

It's an argument that's kind of been rehashed throughout multiple threads. I personally feel like Talib's impact on games was slightly overrated. I'd take him back, but I think his skillset is replaceable with a FA who doesn't have the risks he has, especially if we're talking about a long term contract.

I don't see anyone, except a desperate team that just wants to spend money, giving Talib a long term contract. I think he'll get 3 years 18m from the Pats. Given his former team gave him away and no one wanted him, I don't see why teams would be willing to pay him more now that he had success with the Patriots (as success in the Pats system isn't indicitive of success elsewhere for a personality risk -- ie look at moss and even ocho did even worse)

 

[Marqui]

2 game sample size?

That's bigger than the 0 game sample size that proves McCourty to safety was the main reason the defense improved.