BY NICK ST. DENIS
The New England Patriots' secondary stinks. So, why not?
Just before Thursday's 4 p.m. trade deadline, the Patriots traded a 2013 fourth-round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for troubled cornerback Aqib Talib, who is currently serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy by testing positive for Adderall. He's eligible to play in the Patriots' next game, a Nov. 11 divisional bout with the Buffalo Bills.
Talib, a former first-round draft pick, has been arrested multiple times over the past few years, most recently in 2011 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He also got into a fistfight with a fellow Buccaneers rookie at the NFL rookie symposium in 2008.
The Patriots' pass defense has been a crime in itself, having given up a league-most (by a lot) 43 passing plays of 20 yards or more.
Talib, while known to get torched for full games from time-to-time, has amassed 18 interceptions and 53 passes defensed in his five-year career. Regardless, he was no longer a good fit in Greg Schiano's no-nonsense camp.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick runs a similar put-up-or-get-out ship, but he's likely a little more lenient in the secondary, since New England has been awful there for quite some time.
Follow Nick @NickStDenis
Follow AFC East Daily @AFCEastDaily
