The Los Angeles Rams parted ways with cornerback Aqib Talib by trading him to the Miami Dolphins in an effort to shore up some resources for cornerback Jalen Ramsey after bringing him in from the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the Oct. 29 trade deadline.
The Rams had dug themselves in a bit of a hole following a three-game skid and decided to switch things up in the secondary by trading both Talib and cornerback Marcus Peters. The team made quite the investment by parting ways with two first-rounders along with a fourth-rounder and are now taking steps to ensure they can sign him for the long haul.
Talib admitted that he noticed all the looming signs of his eventual departure. It seems he has no hard feelings given what Los Angeles got in return. Talib said during an appearance on Fox Sports that he does not blame the Rams for doing what they can to acquire a player of Ramsey’s caliber and wished his former team well:
“Them my guys. [Todd Gurley], [Aaron Donald], they still my guys so I still text them guys and talk to them. I talked to Les [Snead], Coach Sean [McVay] – I wouldn’t have done it no different, honestly. You got one of the hottest commodities in the league in Jalen Ramsey. You got a chance to go out and get that guy and pay him while he’s happy, he’s in the building, do it.”
Talib added that it is all part of the business that comes with playing in the NFL:
“I’ve been in the game long enough. It’s our business,” Talib said. “Learn how to move around and adjust.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Talib’s comments considering the wealth of experience he has acquired throughout his stellar 12-year career. It is encouraging to see that he understands full well what Los Angeles was trying to do in securing Ramsey for the long haul and is not taking the trade personally.
Although Talib’s brief tenure with the Rams was riddled with injuries, he still managed to reach his goal of helping this team compete for a Super Bowl. He will now have a chance to play an integral role for a Dolphins team that is in the midst of a grueling rebuild and just managed to secure their first win of the 2019 NFL season in Week 9.
Fortunately, his track record indicates that he is more than capable of making the necessary adjustments to thrive with his new team as he has all his career. Talib remains on injured reserve and will not be eligible to make his return until Week 15. He will then be a free agent this offseason and said he plans to continue playing.
