Aqib Talib "Overrated"

Aqib Talib has gained recognition for his play in New England around the league, but the writers and statisticians at “Pro Football Focus” have Talib rated as someone “who is not a shutdown corner.”

When combining his time at Tampa Bay and the Patriots he allowed a touchdown or first down 8.75% of the time which is second worst in the NFL for this past season. These numbers are not in a vacuum however because he is the guy who covers every team’s best receiver so naturally if the competition is higher the result will be more targets for his counterpart, leading to more first downs and touchdowns; it’s common sense.

In saying that I agree to an extent that Talib is not a shutdown corner, but is still the most talented one we have. What Talib lacks in natural ability he has made up for in his aggression and attitude. When he came in the Patriots felt comfortable sending blitzes more often and created blitz packages for Mayo. You saw a more confident group in the secondary and sometimes the mindset of thinking you’re good, as opposed to actually being good, will lead to a high risk, high reward kind of play. The secondary looks to be over coached at times with coined Patriot phrases like “Stay in your lane” and “Get the f*** back” that very rarely you see someone just go out and make a play; Talib changed that.

This news however, could be a good thing for the Patriots though because if the perception of Talib around the league changes to a more negative outlook, then you’re looking at a lower cost to keep him around. I think it is the Patriots intention to keep Talib this offseason, but will depend on how much he demands because as we all know the Patriots don’t overpay for talent.

@TitleTownTalkSB