Getty Former Rams CB Aqib Talib started in the Super Bowl last season after missing a good chunk of the regular season.
The Eagles may have one rabbit they can pull from the hat after standing pat at the trade deadline.
As the 4 p.m. hour came and went Tuesday, GM Howie Roseman chose not to give up any valuable assets in a deal for a veteran cornerback. The savvy executive may have been watching the transaction wire and noticed that one player may fall to him.
Veteran cornerback Aqib Talib and a fifth-round draft pick were traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Miami Dolphins at the deadline in exchange for a seventh-rounder in 2021.
No big deal, right? Trade deadline over.
Not so fast. Talib isn’t expected to suit up for the Dolphins this season and they are expected to cut him. The Rams made the move to clear cap space as the five-time Pro Bowler’s salary was worth a $4.2 million hit. Talib is on injured reserve and the earliest he can return is in Week 15, assuming his injured rib has fully healed.
The 33-year-old has racked up 35 interceptions and 125 passes defensed in 148 career games (134 starts). During that time, Talib has proved time and time again that he is an elite cornerback and maybe a future Hall-of-Famer. He started for the Rams in last year’s Super Bowl against New England.
“Aqib has meant a whole lot. He’s meant a whole lot to our team. I think just the confidence, the swagger, the veteran leadership that he’s brought — he’s been, really, a big part of what’s gone on since he got here and he’s been nothing but positive since he got here,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Like I’ve said, I think he’s a Hall of Fame player.”
Give me all the smoke #MobSquad
Eagles Secondary Needs Confidence Boost
The Eagles currently rank No. 21 in the NFL in pass defense after allowing 256.1 yards per game, along with 16 touchdowns (sixth-worst) and 100 first downs (12th-worst). While the unit has reinforcements coming back in the form of Avonte Maddox and Cre’Von LeBlanc — remember, starters Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills just returned two weeks ago — it could use a large dose of leadership and swagger.
Aqib Talib would check both of those boxes. He was a member of arguably one of the league’s greatest defenses in 2015 and won a Super Bowl ring that year as a member of the Denver Broncos. He also spent two seasons in New England working under the tutelage of no-nonsense coach Bill Belichick. While he couldn’t play until at least Week 15, the Eagles might need his help to ensure a lengthy postseason run.
Eagles Defensive Coordinator Praises Eagles Cornerbacks
The Eagles have been getting healthier and healthier, so the chances they waste a roster spot on an aging cornerback seem slim. In fact, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was extra complimentary when describing the guys on the Eagles’ roster.
The team has been slowly getting Jalen Mills and Ronald Darby re-acclimated after the duo missed a large stretch of 2019. Schwartz liked the way they competed last week against Buffalo. It doesn’t sound like they are searching for additional help.
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“The only help the corners really had was Mother Nature in that game, but they both battled and not only enabled us to play the rest of that scheme,” Schwartz said, “but I thought they did a good job tackling and limiting some plays after that and we were able to pick up some stops along the way and keep the score down.”
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