A few days ago, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib was believed to be a future free agent once the NFL’s labor strife lifted. Apparently such assumptions came a bit too early. As Pro Football Weekly confirms, the Bucs are now willing to wait on the legal process to work itself out regarding Talib’s case before proceeding with a verdict of their own.
The official felony charge in Texas stemming from March 21st is “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon” against Talib. Before this, Talib has been in a fistfight with a rookie teammate coming into the league and was also arrested in 2009 for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver. That resulted in a one-game suspension.
Fan responses seem mixed on Talib’s roster status, with some wanting to cut the former Jayhawk and keep him away from the rest of the players, while others want to think harder before dismissing the team’s best defensive back. There’s no denying Talib’s tremendous on-field talents, but how many distractions can such a young team handle? Apparently it will be a while before we know any final word.