Welcome to first and 10, a roundup of all the (mostly) Patriots-related news you need to start your day:
So instead of coming east, Aqib Talib is off to the sun and fun of Los Angeles, reunited (as we hinted at here) with his old buddy Wade Phillips. Makes a lot of sense from a football perspective, as it gives the Rams one of the best (and maybe the most combustible) secondaries in the league in 2018. Talib and Marcus Peters are an electric combination. Add those two to the Los Angeles front seven, and it appears the Rams are the early favorites to win the offseason, even before the start of free agency.
So what does that mean for the Patriots? With Richard Sherman reportedly set to be released on Friday, that frees him up for New England to theoretically take a shot at the veteran cornerback, who will turn 30 this month. Provided the Achilles is OK, Sherman will certainly have plenty of other suitors, including several teams that employ former Seattle assistants on the defensive side of the ball like Atlanta (head coach Dan Quinn), San Francisco (DC Robert Saleh), Dallas (defensive backs coach Kris Richard) and the Los Angeles Chargers (DC Gus Bradley). If the dollars were all equal, would he lean toward the familiarity of one of those situations? Would he embrace a new challenge like New England? Could he could return to Seattle at a lesser rate? Or is there a mystery team out there that's flush with cash waiting to pounce on the former All-Pro? All are distinct possibilities as the most entertaining soap opera of the early stages of the NFL offseason nears a climax. Let me know what you think is going to happen in the comments.
One more thing: With Talib going to the Rams, this means we have a chance at Talib-Michael Crabtree, Part III in 2018.
HEADLINE: Aqib Talib dealt to Rams.
<runs to Internet, checks Rams' 2018 schedule....> pic.twitter.com/qXY6Xf55nU
— Christopher Price (@cpriceNFL) March 9, 2018
Throwback Thursday: ironic the foundation is being laid at Gillette Stadium ??? pic.twitter.com/tLqWbGS3K4
— Richard Seymour (@BigSey93) March 8, 2018
This morning, Tom Brady cut his hair for cancer research. pic.twitter.com/mTNrvlJ5Wq
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) March 8, 2018