Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud joined "SportsNet Central" to talk about the cornerback the Patriots just acquired from the Bucs, Aqib Talib.
Talib has been a consistent performer on the field, but has run into some off the field problems that have led to suspensions.
"He's a very effective corner," Stroud said. "He's taken on some of the No. 1 receivers in the league and shut them down."
That should be a boost for the Patriots struggling secondary.
"He's an agressive guy who is going to jump some routes, make plays on balls and can set the edge in the running game," Stroud said.
Playing the game, Stroud said, has "always been the easy part" for Talib, Stroud said.
Talib has a well-documented history of doing things that have kept them off the field. It's all part of what Stroud called a "volatile" personality the cornerback has.
Still, since new coach Greg Schiano has taken over in Tampa Bay, Talib has shown some improvement in his behavior. He has stuck around Tampa and the Bucs complex, rather than travel back to his hometown of Dallas, where he's gotten into trouble in the past.
The Bucs knew they weren't going to re-sign Talib after this season anyway, Stroud said, and couldn't pass up the Pats' offer of a fourth- and seventh-round pick for the troubled corner.