Gifted but troubled cornerback Aqib Talib is set up to attend training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the end of the NFL lockout and is waited to continue with the squad for the immediate future -- and most likely throughout the 2011 season.
The Bucs have closely monitored Talib's legal issues -- police in Garland, Texas, charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from a March 21 domestic incident -- but have not been not able to directly deal with him because of the lockout's non-contact regulations.
Shortly after Talib's arrest, reports emerged that the Bucs would departure him. But according to sources, team has not made a conclusion on the cornerback's future and has not set a timetable to do so. There's every prospect that he will be with the squad whenever the 2011 league year begins.
The Bucs have not made any recent public affirmations about Talib, instead deciding to wait on decisions by the courts and the NFL before making any determination about whether or not to cut ties with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Talib's trial Is not scheduled until March 2012, and sources with knowledge of the case told the level of evidence and nature of the testimony against the 25-year-old might work in his favor.
Talib, who has dealt with several disciplinary matters in the past, is facing a second-degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. He's out of jail on $25,000 bond.
The cloudy nature of the lockout makes it even less likely that the Bucs or the league will take any immediate action against Talib, who has 15 interceptions in 3 NFL seasons.
NFL owners and players, through their talkses on a new labor deal, are working on issues related to the powers of the Commissioner in regards to off-the-field matters. There's also a argument as to what domain, if any, the league will have in regard to incidents that occurred during the lockout.
By and large, the league has waited for the legal process to resolve itself in any disciplinary matter before enacting a fine or a suspension. So barring something unforeseen, look for Talib, who was a part of the Bucs' player-run workouts earlier this offseason, to be with the team when training camp eventually opens.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Bucs will welcome CB Talib to camp, wait for legal process
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