Bedard: Aqib Talib trade signals change in Patriots philosophy

[VrabelJr]

I think Talib is an idiot off the field. On the field he's an above average player that can help us in an area where we greatly need it.

Winning cures all forms of ******ation. Except for full ******. But you never go full ******.

 

[JMC00]

It's really funny, for weeks all the media has been saying is they have to do something about the secondary. Well Belichick goes out and gets a starting corner and not some off the street jag and because he has had a few issues the Pats now are win at all costs and desperate.

I'm of the mindset that if it doesn't work out, OK, but at least Bill did something to try to make the secondary better.

 

[RayClay]

Sorry, you can't play the moral outrage card to the hilt, then say "Oh maybe for a 7th round pick."

 

[Mike the Brit]

I'm very happy to have Bedard. He knows football and thinks for himself. If he's got an agenda, it doesn't prevent him from looking at what happens on the field and explaining it knowledgeably, unlike some (*cough* Borges *cough*). I take him as he comes but he's always well worth reading.

As for the trade itself, my two cents is that it's BB being BB. After all of the years thinking about him since he took over as Head Coach, he's still a mystery. There is one side of him that is the ultimate conservative control freak who wants everything regular and systematic, doesn't want to get too high or too low, and so on. But there's another streak in him too that is like one of those mad punters who only wants to bet on longshots. It makes him a complete contrarian who seems to do things just because they're not what people expect him to (we see it every year at the draft). Typical of that BB to pay a substantial price for a player no one else will touch. A gamble at bad odds -- but it won't be the first one he's taken, and all in all, who can quarrel?

 

[Crononaut]

Even if we hypothetically accept his base position, that the Patriots implore character as a cornerstone of the "Patriot Way", I still disagree with the article. The players' character on and off the field is extremely important, while they're here. When these so-called hard cases and miscreants join the roster, they are given a clean slate with the Patriots, where they can either conform to the expectations of the organization or misbehave and be sent right back out the door. If anything, wouldn't an organization that has a near-zero tolerance for off-field antics and behavioral issues be the embodiment of what Bedard is saying we are not? If Talib commits anything similar to his past transgressions, does Bedard really expect BB to keep him around?

Look at Ochocinco for a perfect example of this. He stunk up the field playwise, but all the concerns about his diva attitude and antics were for naught - he completely adhered to the "Patriot Way", at least in his behavior. Not even 3 months removed from the system, and he was headbutting women.

 

[patsfan-1982]

every team in the NFL has being doing this picking up a talented but Troubled player to see if a change in scenery will help him return to hes glory days...there is no reason at all not to like this move,


the pats have the waekest set of CB's in the NFL and lets face it they are not going to win the SB if they keep playng the way they have been YES he's only going to be here for this season and it may not work out but you have to take a shot at helping your team WIN NOW brady is not geting younger this was a good move by the front office IMO

 

[Jackson 2]

Bedard: 'Too much risk' involved with Talib

even troy brown doesnt seem to be a big fan

Troy's not a fan of much of anything about the Pats these days.

 

[mayoclinic]

Bedard: 'Too much risk' involved with Talib

even troy brown doesnt seem to be a big fan

Way to :deadhorse:, Greg. We get that Bedard doesn't like the trade. He's only posted about 5 different articles stating his opinion to that effect, in fairly blunt terms, or stronger.

The trade is a done deal. What are the "risks" involved:

1. "Risk" of giving up a 4th round pick. That's done. A 4th round pick could be Kareem Brown, or it could be Aaron Hernandez, Asante Samuel, Jared Allen, or Red Bryant. We know that. It's a gamble.

2. Risk that the secondary might actually get better. Hard not to argue that Talib is a huge upgrade in his skill set over what we've had, especially if we want to play press-man coverage.

3. Risk that Talib has more off field events in the next 3 months. I think that's fairly low given that Talib is coming off a suspension, is with a new team, and is in a contract year. He knows he's on a short leash and wants to make a good impression. But there's always that possibility. In which case the Pats cut him and are back to square 0.

4. Risk that Talib becomes a major distraction and locker room cancer. I don't think BB will let that happen. If Talib shows signs of that, BB will cut him before he becomes a major distraction, plus the veteran leadership and lockerroom culture is too strong. It's a calculated risk. Plus from all reports Talib was never a bad guy in the clubhouse, just prone to off field incidents.

That's my risk assessment. Not sure why that would work out to "too much risk", but obviously Bedard sees it differently.

 

[chasa]

I guess we should try and trade for Tebow and see is tebow can play CB then.

Since hes the only non sinner in the nfl.

 

[Mainefan]

Having no choice whatever, BB acquired the best cornerback he could find. Would Bedard have preferred he sign a solid citizen who got beat consistently?

 

[Kontradiction]

This looks like some sort of deadline piece that Bedard had to throw together to please his editor during a slow bye week. Just an awful, awful article.

 

[BSR]

Personally I think this is Bedard's "due" into the Boston Sportswriters Club. Without at least one hatchet job annually he would get labeled a Patriots shill like Reiss. This is the stuff he has to do to stay in high regards with his peers. There is no other explanation for the blatant misinterpretation of the supposed Patriot way. All that Bill cares about is that you care about football, can accept coaching and keep your nose clean while your here. Everything else is a media creation.

 

[vyrago]

I look at is as a fundamental misunderstanding of what's meant by "the Patriots way". I see the same thing from posters here, from other media members, and from posters on other forums.

I always thought the "Patriot Way" was "next man up." Obviously not, eh?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Bedard "But I think we can stop with all the silly talk about how the Patriots look for leadership or being a captain, or any other nonsense. "

That's a non-sequitor

So the Pats time and again explicitly draft guys with leadership resumes, team captains and signing Talib a shady character because of his talent means that the vast majority of personnel decisions can be ignored? Bedard is not a deep thinker and is reacting emotionally because his worldview of the Pats was understandably shattered by this risk taking move by a team desperate for talent at CB..

 

[condon84]

He's not even close to being as a big a pos as Rothelisburger or Vick. His stuff actually pales in comparison, a couple of fights and a domestic incident with a convicted sex offender that was dating his sister.

So he's not a felon or an alleged rapist, but this guy is not saint. His actions are that of a POS and had we not acquired him recently, most of us would be saying the same thing.

He's still a POS, but if he helps us win, I don't really care. It's not like I look up or my kid looks up to these guys anyways.

It's just hilarious how a lot of posters are now minimizing his past incidents now that he's with the Pats.

 

[BSR]

It's just hilarious how a lot of posters are now minimizing his past incidents now that he's with the Pats.

Were there a lot of Pats fans saying how bad a guy he was prior to the trade? I remember more then a couple fans pointing out this trade as a possibility and don't remember much opposition based on his past incidents.

 

[RayClay]

It's good business to pick up character guys and have a solid locker room. Belichick teams at their best have enforced discipline through that locker room.

Nevertheless, this idea that they are looking for altar boys has always been a joke. They've got a solid core now and can take a chance on a badly needed talent who they can always cut, or not extend.

This stuff has always been silly, they're there to play football. Do you think BB was running around town checking to see if Lawrence Taylor made curfew?

It's a risk, but I think Vince Wilfork and others will set this guy straight in the short term. Risk means you might lose. so you acquire more low round picks if you need them.

By the way, A team that's loaded up on young players for years now, might not want many for a while. Sorry about those draft boards.

 

[vyrago]

Finally read the article. It's not very good in that the body doesn't quite support the thesis, that the Patriots are willing to "do anything" including betray their much-vaunted (by whom, Bedard doesn't say) morality in pursuit of a superbowl. It seems clear to me maturity is a Talib problem, not to mention steroid abuse. Most of those charges appear to the result of roid rage.

Agreed Talib doesn't seem like a very nice guy, but "one of the worst in the NFL" is a bit over the top, if not slightly hysterical.

Now when the NFL begins employing and playing athletes of the Jerry Sandusky type, that's when disgust will overtake any love I might have for the sport.

 

[robbomango]

Finally read the article. It's not very good in that the body doesn't quite support the thesis, that the Patriots are willing to "do anything" including betray their much-vaunted (by whom, Bedard doesn't say) morality in pursuit of a superbowl. It seems clear to me maturity is a Talib problem, not to mention steroid abuse. Most of those charges appear to the result of roid rage.

Agreed Talib doesn't seem like a very nice guy, but "one of the worst in the NFL" is a bit over the top, if not slightly hysterical.

Now when the NFL begins employing and playing athletes of the Jerry Sandusky type, that's when disgust will overtake any love I might have for the sport.

It was Adderrall, an amphetamine usually prescribed for ADD, he was suspended for not steroids.

 

[mayoclinic]

It's good business to pick up character guys and have a solid locker room. Belichick teams at their best have enforced discipline through that locker room.

Nevertheless, this idea that they are looking for altar boys has always been a joke. They've got a solid core now and can take a chance on a badly needed talent who they can always cut, or not extend.

This stuff has always been silly, they're there to play football. Do you think BB was running around town checking to see if Lawrence Taylor made curfew?

It's a risk, but I think Vince Wilfork and others will set this guy straight in the short term. Risk means you might lose. so you acquire more low round picks if you need them.

One of the benefits of loading up on guys with leadership skills and character is that it allows you to take a risk here or there. It has to be done selectively and with a low tolerance for misadventure. But it's much safer to take a risk or two when you already have a strong locker room and team structure.

Lawrence Taylor makes Talib look like a choir boy.

By the way, A team that's loaded up on young players for years now, might not want many for a while. Sorry about those draft boards.

That's one reason BB may not have been so reluctant to part with a likely late 4th round pick. He needs some veterans, especially in the secondary. McCourty (25), Chung (25), Dowling (24), Dennard (23), Wilson (23), Ebner (22). Talib at age 26 has 5 years of experience. We don't need to keep drafting DBs in the hope that one will stick. And we can afford the be selective in picking young talent to add to the team. Young talent is alway valuable, so those draft boards are still important, but they will be more selective than they've been in the past.