Aqib Talib made his preseason debut for the Denver Broncos on Saturday night, and many things looked the same. Talib showed he can still be one of the better cornerbacks in NFL, even after rehabbing from an offseason gunshot wound. Unfortunately, Talib also showed that he’s still a risk to this team with yet another personal foul penalty.
Talib has always played with nastiness. His aggression no doubt fuels Denver’s excellent defense. However, after a rough offseason and a potential suspension looming, isn’t it time for Talib to cut the personal foul penalties out of his game?
Even with the spark Talib gives the Denver defense, his antics are growing tiresome. He has been punished before, with both suspensions and fines, but no penalty seems to be doing the trick. One of these days, the Broncos are going to be burnt by Talib, and the team is lucky it didn’t happen after his personal foul penalty in Super Bowl 50.
Talib is set to earn nearly $9 million this season, which is a good chunk of cash for a team that is up against the salary cap. Would it make sense for the Broncos to part ways with one of the best cornerbacks in the league? Of course, it would have to be through a trade, as the Broncos would have to eat over $11 million in dead cap if they were going to cut him.
Talib’s actions alone do not warrant a release from Denver. He’s simply too good of a player, and the organization will most likely continue putting up with his behavior as long as he is still playing at a high level.
What will trigger a potential move is Bradley Roby. It’s very possible that in a year from now Roby will be looked at as one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL. Yes, Roby is that good and talented. Denver also has depth at cornerback in Kayvon Webster and Lorenzo Doss.
So, looking at Denver’s salary cap number, what Talib is making and the phenomenal young talent at the cornerback position, don’t be surprised if the Broncos move on from Talib sooner rather than later. It is the NFL, crazier things have happened.
To hear more about Talib, listen to the podcast below …
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