If you're the Patriots, would you extend a contract to Aqib Talib now or wait for him to hit free agency at the end of the year?
Raj: I am very impressed by his performance this season and especially last week. He's clutch! But you can't rush towards signing him longterm yet. Give him 4-5 more games where he performs like this and
then you can consider giving him a longterm extension. But knowing the Pats, well…you never know!
Jason: I'd extend Talib today if he's willing to take something like 535. He's likely to be the best CB on the market, so he won't come cheap in the offseason. If he didn't get hurt in the AFC Title Game last year, New England wins the Super Bowl.
Derek: My hesitancy towards extending Talib now is due to two factors. For starters, he's a mis-step away from a hefty league suspension. Not to put him on the same level as Aaron Hernandez, but the Patriots have already been bitten by extending potential trouble-makers. They need to be careful there. Secondly, Talib is clearly playing for a contract right now. Will the motivation level drop off even just a little if the carrot isn't being dangled? That being said, he's clearly a player that the Patriots would benefit from having around long-term. If I were them, I wouldn't risk him bolting in free-agency. If his numbers are at all reasonable now, I'd pull the trigger and lock him up.
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