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Bill Belichick and players talk Aqib Talib’s arrival and where he might fit 11.12.12 at 7:13 pm ET
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Aqib Talib is the newest member of the Patriots. (AP)

The Patriots are welcoming Aqib Talib into the program.

The cornerback, who was acquired earlier this month at the trade deadline from Tampa Bay, was cleared to enter the facility at Gillette Stadium Monday after a four-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said on a Monday afternoon conference call that he has already had the chance to speak with Talib, and that the team is working with him to get him up to speed in the system as soon as possible, which will include his first practice with the team on Wednesday.

“We’re not going to be on the practice field until Wednesday, so we’ll go out there Wednesday and see what it looks like,” Belichick said when asked about Talib. “We’ll spend time with him, trying to get him caught up in terms of terminology and scheme and that type of thing. We’ll see how all that comes together as we move through our preparations this week. I don’t really know how it will turn out.

“[We’ll] just try to work with him on an individual basis and work with him in terms of terminology, film study of what we’re doing and also to get ahead on our opponent this week, start working on some of that too and see how it all comes together.”

Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo was part of the same draft class as Talib in 2008, and said Monday their paths crossed a few times during the pre-draft process.

“I just know that he is a competitor and he loves the game,” Mayo said. “Like you said, I’m not really sure as far as the way he plays the game, but I just know he goes out there and plays hard every day.

“I wouldn’t say [we became] the best of friends, but at the same time your main focus is to try to get a job, you’re out there on an interview process,” Mayo added. “But when we crossed paths he seemed like a cool guy, and hopefully, I get a chance to meet him on Wednesday.”

Defensive back Devin McCourty figures to get the chance to work closely with Talib, who will join a secondary that will have a lot of shifting parts over the next few weeks.

“Wednesday he’ll get here and we’ll get to get out there and practice and he’ll be a part of the team, so it will be a big week for us,” McCourty said. “Just to get another guy out there that you know is a good player, it will be exciting. We’ll have to draw some chemistry and go out there and play well this weekend.

“I’ve seen him play a bunch of times. He’s a solid player. He’s a very good player,” McCourty added. “I’m sure he’ll be able to help us in a lot of different ways.”

The acquisition of Talib to have an impact on McCourty — specifically where he ends up playing the rest of the year. In his two-plus seasons in New England, he’s worked primarily at corner, but spent some time at safety at the end of the 2011 season, as well as a handful of games this year. If Talib acclimates quickly at corner, it could mean more snaps at safety for McCourty.

“You know, here, anything is kind of possible as far as guys playing different positions,” McCourty said. “Like I said after the game, I’m getting more and more comfortable at playing safety the more snaps I get. Coach [Belichick] is always telling me to be ready to play safety or corner, whatever the team needs me to do. Each week I think it could change; it could stay the same. However coach Belichick sees that and [defensive coordinator Matt Patricia], however they want to go about it, that’s how I think we’ll have to do it and go from there.”

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  • trollhunter

    Welcome Aqib . No nonsence .Welcome to the patriot way. Now get out there do your job

  • Belichick no defensive genius

    He had to be thinking…forget about schemes, I’m better than these guys with a blindfold on…

  • Rebelguy

    50% of the cornerback problem is now solved.Opposing qb’s will now just key in on whatever stiff is covering on the OTHER side!

  • Titletown1

     The Patriot Way? If the Patriot Way was still being used, Aqib wouldn’t be in New England.

    So now we have a cover corner in a defensive scheme that hasn’t used one on one coverage in the last three years…..are they going to let the guy play play that way or are they going to force him into the Patriots’ marshmallow zone coverage?

  • trollhunter

    We can only hope he is man to man . We all know he can now it”s up to the D coach to put him there. What i mean by the patriot way is fly straight be a team player. P.S. romeo romeo where for art thou romeo! and charlie  too!

  • Natester

    The Patriot way went out the door with Myra…not saying that’s a bad thing…but it definitely went out with her!

  • Worry_about_the_franchise

    God bless Myra, but she didn’t control personnel.  That building has other things to worry about.  Now back to Robert.  He can’t even make a good experience for his own Stalin Stadium.  The tell you what to do, how to do it, and when to do it at the Razor.  And Krafty charges you for it.  No Smoking anywhere – You want a cigar at halftime forget it! $40-$50 parking, 2-3 hours to get out of that rat hole.  They promote Wi-Fi, but little gang of Stalin confiscates your lap top.  Go take a wiz and miss three possessions,   You want a score while your in line where does the Wi-Fi go – it doesn’t work.  More bathrooms for broads than hogs – wrong demographic dummy.  No functional radio or TV in the bathroom.  Try leaving the stadium and deal with the legion of Hitlers telling you you can’t go that way.  You have to go under a tunnel 2 miles the wrong way to get to your car.  The State Police can’t wait to unveil their model of toughness on you.  Screw that, none of my family, friends or I want to go back.  And don’t tell me to just give up my tickets.  Guess what? I will do what Krafty does.  Make money on them.  But, the rest of you should have some balls and say we want to enjoy a game with our kids, allow people to go into the corner outside the stadium and have a cigar.  This isn’t the only NFL stadium I have been to.  Tampa, Oakland, SF, Philly. This is the worst treatment.  Love the team – Loved going to games 6 years ago, now it blows.  Kraft took his eye off the ball and treated fans like his minions.   He wants to put a team in London.  Forget it buddy.  Logistics don’t make sense.  Fix your own problems in Stalin Stadium first.

  • http://www.facebook.com/derek.lee.82 Derek Lee

    Quit crying about stupid sh it. You shouldn’t smoke. Serves you right.

  • glenn88

    I would play McCourty and Talib at CB and solidify the starting corner postion.   These guys can play man and at least you have some area of strength in the secondary.  These guys will make the safety positions easier to play as you shouldn’t see free releases down the middle of the field.   Gregory, Chung and Wilson might be adequate if the CBs play well. 

    We also have to stop moving people around, because the learning process isn’t working as guys are too busy thinking instead of reacting.  SImplify this defense quickly and let McCourty focus on his original position of CB.       

  • Rebelguy

    yeah, i’d try that too. Put Mcourty back in there and maybe he can feed off the superior skill of Talib. success breeds success and maybe , just maybe Mccourty’s focus will improve and he recaptures some of the old magic he had his rookie year when we all thought he had no place to go but up.

  • Uncle Buck

    Who are heck are you… Derek the Judge??? More like Derek the Dweeb. Don’t be an a hole little man.

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