Could the Pats survive without Aqib Talib?
Daily post at Sportsblog is up, taking a closer look at the Talib situation.
An Independent Patriots Blog
Could the Pats survive without Aqib Talib?
Daily post at Sportsblog is up, taking a closer look at the Talib situation.
It’s hard to really discuss needs at this point, because all the glaring ones will be filled by the draft. This speaks to your point exactly. They can’t go into the draft needing to find a starter at any position. This allows them to pounce if a player like Benjamin or someone else they might really like falls. That’s what value is all about and you can’t draft for value when you have critical needs.
First, I thought this was interesting…
If Aqib Talib wants big money, this chart of his 2013 season won’t help: pic.twitter.com/vM78zwkyBi
— Pete Damilatis (@PFF_Pete) March 5, 2014
I do think that there’s something to be said for Talib living off of the good will he earned in those early games last season. We tend to forget the weird meltdown against the Panthers and the hip injury that once again returned. Most focus on his great start and then the knee injury in the AFCCG.
My view, as I previously mentioned this morning, is that if he walks they focus on the front seven with some of the money they had slotted for Talib. As much as the Pats were picked apart vs. Denver, that has as much to do with having no depth in the front seven as it did not having a cover corner for Demaryius Thomas.
The pressure was literally non-existant. PFF had them getting pressure on Manning just six times with no sacks. If they can’t nab Talib they should make a serious play for Jared Allen/Demarcus Ware/Julius Peppers. An elite front seven will make any secondary look good, let’s not forget that.
It certainly makes the need for a corner bigger and they’d likely have to find someone else in free agency and the draft. But they’re not dead in the water with Dennard/Ryan/Arrington.
2014 Patriots Seven-Round Mock Draft: Pre-Free Agency Edition | NEPatriotsDraft.com – 2014 NFL Draft
Great mock, why is Oliver Thomas teasing me like this?
The Patriots know they have to crack open the safe if they’re going to keep cornerback Aqib Talib from hitting the open market next week. Talib wants to be paid as a top-of-the-market corner in free agency, according to a source.
The Blitz with Jeff Howe & Karen Guregian | Boston Herald
Not really that surprising, and the Pats should know what they have in Talib. If he walks they need to put additional resources into the front seven. You’re not going to get a cover corner, at least not right off the bat, in the draft where the Pats are picking. They have some good pieces in the secondary, but they’ll need to have a much better pass rush to cover up their deficiencies without Talib.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/the-patriots-know-they-have-to-crack-open-the-safe/
“And now they want to get rid of me so they can give you more money…!?”
https://www.patspropaganda.com/and-now-they-want-to-get-rid-of-me-so-they-can/
29. New England Patriots – Notre Dame DT Louis Nix: Nix has been higher in my mock drafts, but I have watched some game tapes that create some doubt. At this spot, the Patriots would be glad to get this big space eater, considering Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly were on IR last year.
2014 NFL Mock Draft: Browns deal into No. 2 for Blake Bortles – CBSSports.com
I don’t love Nix here or at all for the Pats really. Our problems are on passing downs. How much impact will Nix make on passing downs? Wilfork has/had rare athleticism and from the combine results it doesn’t look like Nix does. Would rather go with Tuitt here.
https://www.patspropaganda.com/29-new-england-patriots-notre-dame-dt-louis/
Patriots Film Review: Rookie Running Backs Vie For Top Reserve Role | New England Patriots | NESN.com Nice review of two of the rookie running backs by Doug Kyed. Was putting together my training camp preview yesterday writing about these guys and I really think running back could be one of the more surprising positional […]