A meeting with Roger Goodell is never a good thing, especially if you’re an NFL player with drama surrounding his life. But Aqib Talib must go through the motions if he expects to put the drama of his latest arrest behind him.
The former Kansas Jayhawk is easily the most talented corner on the Tampa Bay Bucs roster, but he’s also the most unpredictable. The latest incident happened this offseason where he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a Class 2 Felony. Thus far, the Bucs have stuck with their man rather than outright release him, so now they have to hope Goodell is lenient.
Adam Schefter reports both good and bad news from his sources, saying that Talib’s side says they have a great defense to provide Goodell, but that a “lengthy suspension” awaits Talib on the other side of all of this. Tomorrow’s meeting will go a long way toward determining the punishment.
Michael David Smith over at PFT brings up a good point. “Talib’s lawyers are urging the NFL to give him the presumption of innocence, but the league’s stance in recent years has been that the presumption of innocence is something a defendant gets in the court of law, not in the court of Goodell.”