Would you prefer the Patriots acquire Aqib Talib or Richard Sherman?
Welcome to Boston.com’s Sports Q, our daily conversation, initiated by you and moderated by Chad Finn, about a compelling topic in Boston sports. Here’s how it works: You submit questions to Chad through Twitter, Facebook, email, his Friday chat, and any other outlet you prefer. He’ll pick one each weekday to answer, then we’ll take the discussion to the comments. Chad will stop by several times per day to navigate. But you drive the conversation.
Looks like the Patriots have a chance to pick up a really good veteran cornerback, either Aqib Talib or Richard Sherman. If they both end up getting cut and being available as free agents, which one would you prefer? I’d go with Sherman. He’s younger and probably a little better. — Dave L.
If I had my choice among all cornerbacks who are going to be available as free agents, I’d still rather have Malcolm Butler. That’s probably my Super Bowl XLIX bias at play, though. There’s a better chance of a Hart Lee Dykes comeback than of Butler returning to the Patriots. As you may have heard, it ended badly.
So Talib or Sherman? Hmmm. I’d be fine with either one if they got cut. It’s not worth trading for either – Sherman has a $13.2 million cap hit, while Talib has two years left on his deal, at a total of $19 million. I think I’d probably lean Talib. He’s two years older than Sherman, but he’s a known entity in terms of how he fits in with his teammates and that sort of thing.
I like Sherman, but a 30-year-old cornerback coming off surgery to both Achilles’ is a heck of a gamble, especially since he’s accomplished enough that he’ll probably have suitors willing to pay him more than the Patriots. He’s a smart guy and a hard worker, so maybe he can come back from it and be a decent facsimile of what he was before.
But if I had to bet on either Talib or Sherman being effective this year, I’d go with the guy they call Leeb.
What do you think? If the Patriots could acquire either Talib or Sherman, who would you choose? I’ll hear you in the comments or join the conversation on Facebook.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com