It's looking more and more likely that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start the season without their best player on defense. Aqib Talib, embroiled in the middle of an assault with a deadly weapon case, had a sit down with commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this week in New York to discuss his latest run in with the law and Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole is reporting that sources close to the situation suspect a four game suspension for the embattled cornerback.
Talib is a tremendous talent but at just 25 years old he may already be close to strike three with the NFL. In 2010 he was suspended for one game and fined two paychecks for his involvement in an assault on a cab driver. He was also reportedly involved in a fight with another player at the NFL's rookie symposium.
A report earlier this week suggested that commissioner Goodell may have struck a deal to suspend eight specific repeat offenders in exchange for ignoring other first time trouble makers that may of committed offenses while the NFL was operating without a CBA this past off-season.
If Talib misses time, either Myron Lewis or Elbert Mack would be thrust into starting roles along side veteran Ronde Barber.