Deion Sanders says Talib needs to stay healthy to be considered elite
Deion Sanders has been making some headlines this week after some interesting interviews with Marshawn Lynch and Wes Welker. He was also asked earlier the week about where Patriots corner Aqib Talib ranks in relation to the best at the position in the league (Quote from BostonHerald.com):
While Deion is undoubtedly the best to ever do it at the cornerback position, I often find him to be a bit of a buffoon as an analyst. But in this case, I actually think he is spot on. Since arriving in New England, Talib has shown flashes of brilliance where he played at a truly elite level; a level where if consistent, he could very well be the best in the game. He was a front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year in the early stages of the 2013 season, but never really returned to form after sustaining a hip injury in Week 6 against New Orleans.
Much like last year's AFC Championship Game loss to Baltimore, Talib was knocked out of this year's game early, and from that point on things fell apart for the New England defense. Last year it was Anquan Boldin torching the secondary in Talib's absence, this year it was Demayrius Thomas.
Talib's seemingly chronic hip issues and injury history is what makes the question of whether or not the team should re-sign him this offseason a difficult one. When fully healthy, he is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, capable of matching up with and eliminating an opponent's best player from the gameplan. Unfortunately, it has been somewhat rare to see him at that level since he joined New England.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
"I don’t know about that," said Sanders, who currently works as an NFL Network analyst. "I think he’s good. I think he’s good. I don’t get into ranking guys. I’ll go Richard Sherman right now holds the mantle (as the best cornerback) because he’s made an abundance of plays over the last few years. I love that about his game.
"Aqib hasn’t finished, man. He’s got to finish. It’s almost like you want to give him an ‘A’ on the report card but the assignment is incomplete. He has to finish, and you know what I mean. It’s been the last two seasons when (the Patriots) needed him. It’s not his fault. Injuries really hampered the season. If Aqib Talib is in that game versus the Denver Broncos, it’s a different game. When he left the game, Demaryius Thomas went off."
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| Jim Davis/Boston Globe Staff |
While Deion is undoubtedly the best to ever do it at the cornerback position, I often find him to be a bit of a buffoon as an analyst. But in this case, I actually think he is spot on. Since arriving in New England, Talib has shown flashes of brilliance where he played at a truly elite level; a level where if consistent, he could very well be the best in the game. He was a front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year in the early stages of the 2013 season, but never really returned to form after sustaining a hip injury in Week 6 against New Orleans.
Much like last year's AFC Championship Game loss to Baltimore, Talib was knocked out of this year's game early, and from that point on things fell apart for the New England defense. Last year it was Anquan Boldin torching the secondary in Talib's absence, this year it was Demayrius Thomas.
Talib's seemingly chronic hip issues and injury history is what makes the question of whether or not the team should re-sign him this offseason a difficult one. When fully healthy, he is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, capable of matching up with and eliminating an opponent's best player from the gameplan. Unfortunately, it has been somewhat rare to see him at that level since he joined New England.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
