Yesterday, Aqib Talib was named a "person of interest" in and investigation of a shooting incident that involved some of his family members on March 21. There have been no charges filed or arrests made, but depending on the results of the investigation, this could be the most serious in a long line of transgressions by the young cornerback.
So where do the Bucs turn from here? Talib is troubled, but he is a very talented player and a potential part of their future core. But can they afford to keep him in the fold? A few different Bucs have gotten in trouble over the past few years and it's starting to feel like the inmates are running Raheem Morris' asylum. So is it possible that the Bucs could just cut Talib loose? Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com certainly thinks so.
The Bucs could send a very loud and clear message to their fans that they’re not going to put up with guys who consistently get into trouble. More importantly, they could cut Talib and send a message to the rest of their players that they’re not going to put up with problems no matter how talented a player might be.
The other point that Yasinskas bring up is that cutting Talib would not be a financial burden for the Bucs. Depending of course on the terms of the new CBA, cutting Talib could free up some cap space that the team could use elsewhere. It won't be an easy decision to cut a young player with as much talent as Talib, but if the Bucs decide to end their relationship with him, it won't be difficult to cut ties.