Speaking to reporters late Monday after giving his players the day off, head coach Bill Belichick confirmed that he has already met with Talib and that the coaching staff is in the process of getting him situated. Belichick wasn't prepared to say, when asked, how much of an impact Talib's arrival would have on New England's defense.
"We'll just have to see… we'll spend time with him, try to get him caught up in terms of some terminology, scheme, see how all that comes together. Trying to get him ready to play.
"It's not about expectations or goals," Belichick added. "We're glad to have him, we're working with him. I'm sure that he'll work hard to try to get caught up and we'll see where it all goes."
Linebacker/co-captain Jerod Mayo told reporters today he's "very excited" to have Talib on board.
"Hopefully, I'll get a chance to meet him on Wednesday and he's ready to get to work… [The system] is difficult, but if you put the work and dedication into it, you can pick it up. I don't think that'll be a problem.
"We'll see what happens when he gets here."
NFL players are off on Tuesdays, so, the first chance to see Talib in action will be Wednesday, as Mayo indicated, when the Patriots get back on the practice field.
Mayo recalled being on a couple of visits to NFL teams with Talib when the two were going through the pre-draft process. And of course, Belichick and the Patriots got to see Talib for an extended period this summer when New England spent a few days in joint practices with his former club, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"You know, we look forward to it," defensive back/co-captain Devin McCourty weighed in. "Wednesday he'll get here and we'll get to get out there and practice and he'll be a part of the team, so it will be a big week for us. A big game versus the Colts, just to get another guy out there that you know is a good player, it will be exciting. We'll have to draw some chemistry and go out there and play well this weekend.
"I've seen him play a bunch of times. He's a solid player. He's a very good player. I'm sure he'll be able to help us in a lot of different ways."
The club released second-year linebacker Jeff Tarpinian late Monday, but Belichick seemed to indicate that it was not directly related to Talib's arrival, but that could still wind up being the case. The NFL has given the Patriots a roster exemption for Talib, but the coach said he wasn't sure for exactly how long that exemption would last.
With injuries to both starting guards in the Bills game, it's possible the Tarpinian release could be to bring another offensive lineman to the New England roster. Or it could in fact be for Talib. We just have to wait and see.
