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Earlier this month, Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib went on Vic Lombardi’s show on Altitude 950 radio and said that “If I wasn’t returning, it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world”. Well, now we have more reports pointing to Talib potentially leaving the Broncos.
Aqib Talib: "If I wasn’t returning, it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world" #Broncos https://t.co/hCmI3yK8N3 pic.twitter.com/RsUO01Pk43
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) January 3, 2018
According to WalterFootball.com, league sources have told them that the Broncos will likely shop cornerback Aqib Talib around this offseason and if they cannot he will be released.
Star cornerback Aqib Talib was another player who had locker room issues in Denver last year. Talib spent lots of time complaining about safety T.J. Ward being cut in the preseason. Chris Harris joined Talib in voicing that issue constantly and it never went away with those defensive backs causing turmoil about the move all the way through the end of the season. Sources say the Broncos will probably shop Talib this offseason, and if they don’t find a trade partner, they might move on from Talib and release him.
They note that Talib’s unhappiness about the Broncos releasing veteran safety T.J. Ward as something that didn’t sit well with Talib all season. He and teammate Chris Harris Jr. reportedly brought up that issue continuously throughout the season. This obviously would cause some issues in the locker room and between the Broncos players and/or the coaches and front office people.
This lines up with another report/tweet from Vic Lombardi a few days after the season ended. He said the Broncos would get rid of a “few strong personalities” inside that locker room.
Elway was on the fence yesterday. The room helped save VJ’s job. A couple assistants will go. And so too will a couple “strong personalities” in that room.
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) January 1, 2018
Well, Aqib Talib certainly fits the bill as a strong personality who may or may not have been causing some issues inside that locker room. He and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders who I speculated was the other strong personality who could go could be on their way out this offseason.
This is just a rumor of course, but it lines up with prior reports that Aqib Talib is likely gone this offseason. The Broncos will need all the cap space they can get to make that “strong push” for Kirk Cousins that they’re rumored to make this offseason, and Talib frees up $11 million for them.
It is going to be an interesting offseason with potentially multiple major shakeups coming to the Broncos roster.