SB Nation
  • Google+

Stay connected with SB Nation

Aqib Talib Avoids Suspension After Meeting With Roger Goodell, According To Report

Aqib Talib is still with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he can expect a four-game suspension soon.

  • Live
11 Total Updates since March 28, 2011
  • Updates 11
  • All Updates 11

Aqib Talib Avoids Suspension From Roger Goodell, According To Report

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to not suspend Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib for violating the league's personal conduct policy, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

In May, the 25-year-old Talib was arrested in Garland, Texas on aggravated assault with deadly weapons charges following an incident in March where Talib allegedly pistol-whipped and fired multiple shots at his sister's boyfriend. The incident occurred during the lockout, but the NFL maintained that players would be held accountable for possible personal conduct policy violations during that period.

Talib has maintained his innocence and the legal process will not be resolved until 2012. Earlier this week, Yahoo! Sports reported that after being summoned to meet with Goodell at the league offices in New York, Talib would face a four-game suspension to the start the season.

Word that Talib will not be suspended will likely greeted with elation in the Tennessee Titans wide receivers meeting room, as Kenny Britt, who was arrested multiple times during the lockout, was also summoned to New York to meet with Goodell this week.

Buccaneers General Manager Mark Dominik confirmed the report to the Buccaneers Radio Network prior to Saturday night's preseason game with the Miami Dolphins. A hamstring injury has kept Talib off the field throughout the preseason, including tonight's game.

For more on the Buccaneers, visit Bucs Nation.

Continue

Aqib Talib 'Can Expect' A Four-Game Suspension, According To Report

The long arm of the NFL's law will catch up with Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib after a long offseason. Citing three separate sources, Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole reports that Talib should expect at least a four-game suspension for his latest run-in with the law. In May, Talib was indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon in a March incident.

However, at least one of Cole's sources believes there is a chance the suspension could go for more than four games:

"There’s probably enough doubt in this case that he won’t go more than four games, but it could be more," a source said. "It’s like he says to guys, ‘I don’t want to see you back here.’  "

Talib met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell earlier in the week to discuss this incident, but this was the fourth time in Talib's soon-to-be four-year career that he has had an off-the-field incident. While the Buccaneers are still providing him a spot on the roster, Goodell has to enforce the personal conduct policy.

Even after this reported suspension, Talib will still need to stand trial in March 2012 for the assault with a deadly weapon charge.

Check out Bucs Nation for the latest on the Aqib Talib situation.

Continue

Aqib Talib Trial For Aggravated Assault Set For March 2012

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib won't have the upcoming season (we hope there is one) interrupted for his trial on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times, Talib's lawyer announced the trial date for March 26, 2012. There is a chance, however, that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could still impose some form of punishment on Talib independent of the eventual outcome of the trial.

Bucs Nation, our Tampa Bay Buccaneers blog, notes:

The NFL has the power to suspend Aqib Talib anyway, and Roger Goodell has shown that he will suspend people even without any convictions.

The NFLPA is likely to argue that the NFL should not be allowed to suspend players for any conduct during the lockout, although it's entirely unclear whether their arguments will be accepted by the NFL or codified in the new CBA.

As we saw with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2010, Goodell suspended the star for six games (later reduced to four games) after sexual assault charges were never filed against him for an alleged incident in Georgia.

All signs right now point to Talib being a force in Tampa's secondary this coming season.

Check out Bucs Nation for the latest on the Aqib Talib situation.

Continue

Aqib Talib Practicing With Bucs Teammates Amid Assault Charge, Lockout

Though the NFL lockout's end has begun to appear in the horizon, embattled Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib's future with the organization is still very much up in the air. At the end of May, he was indicted by a Texas grand jury on shooting charges. When the lockout ends, Talib will await the team's decision on him.

But for now, Talib has joined at least 50 other teammates in Bradenton, Fla., for a player-organized minicamp, according to the Tampa Tribune. The event was organized by quarterback Josh Freeman at IMG Academies. Several coaches at the academy helped direct practices for each position, many of them with experience in the league as either coaches or players.

Even with his legal troubles and his future in Tampa hanging over him, Talib still wants to compete just like all of his teammates at the practice. As Freeman said:

"It just shows that we have a lot of passionate dudes here, and you have to love the fact that they all took time out of their schedule to come out and do something like this.’’

Just as watching Sunday football is an escape for millions, practicing with his teammates is likely a get-away for Talib right now.

Check out Bucs Nation for the latest on the Aqib Talib situation.

Continue

Buccaneers Aqib Talib Indicted On Shooting Charges

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib was indicted by a Texas grand jury Friday on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

Talib allegedly shot at his sister’s boyfriend and tried to hit him with a handgun on March 21 in Garland, Texas — just outside of Dallas. He turned himself in March 30 and posted the $25,000 bond, according to the Tampa Tribune.

Jay Reisinger, Talib’s attorney, said in a statement that it is “important to note that the indictment is merely a formal accusation,” and that Talib has not been convicted.

“The grand jury was not privy to a number of important facts. We are very confident that once we have the opportunity to present all of the facts, this matter will be resolved in Mr. Talib’s favor,” the statement said. “Aqib looks forward to putting this matter behind him and returning to the game of football.”

Talib, 25, is accused of pointing a 9mm handgun at Shannon Billings, 40, his sister’s boyfriend, then swinging the gun at him. Police documents say it slipped out of Talib’s hand and fell, and that Billings picked up the gun, which was rendered inoperable after hitting a fence.

According to the documents, Okolo Talib — the player’s mother — arrived at the scene, jumped out of her vehicle with a gun and shot at Billings. Talib is accused of shooting that gun several times at Billings after obtaining it from his mother.

Check out Bucs Nation for the latest on the Aqib Talib situation.

Continue

Bucs Insist No Decision Has Been Made On Aqib Talib

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a decision to face concerning CB Aqib Talib. He's involved in another legal matter, this time apparently involved in a shooting incident in which no one was hurt. So do the Bucs hang onto him despite his checkered time in the NFL or do they cut him loose?

Despite what others say, no decision has been made, head coach Raheem Morris reiterated this week.

"Just to say that we've come out and made a decision about what's going to happen with Aqib Talib's future is completely false and bad information," Morris said.

So there's nothing that's been done. Morris said that Talib hadn't yet been judged so he couldn't say what his future is.  If they don't decide to cut him, which is possible, Morris says there are other ways of discipline after the league does their thing.

"There are extra things internally that we do. We might fine people, we may take money, we may sit you out of practice, we may sit you out of games, we may not allow you to participate in certain things."

Will Talib be on the team long enough to sit out a game? We'll find out if and when the lockout is lifted. 

Check out Bucs Nation for the latest on the Aqib Talib situation. 

Continue

Aqib Talib Reportedly Saying His Mom, Not Him, Fired Shots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib turned himself into police and posted bail after a warrant was issued for his arrest stemming from an incident in which he and his mother, Okolo, are accused of shooting at a man in Texas earlier this month.

You can read the details of the case here but the accusation is that both Aqib and his mother fired shots at a man. Talib's former college defensive coordinator at Kansas claims Talib told him it was his mother -- and not him -- that was firing the shots, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

"I talked to Aqib two days ago," Bowen said. "I told him, 'I just read something about you firing a gun.' He said, 'Man, I didn't do a thing. It'll all come out soon.' He just kept saying that...He said, 'I didn't do that. That was my mom. It's all going to come out.'''

Talib has hired two law firms as well as a private investigator to prepare for the case. 

For more on the situation, check out Bucs Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay. 

Continue

Aqib Talib Turns Himself Into Police, Posts $25,000 Bail

A warrant was put out for Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib, and his mother, on Tuesday after they were connected to a shooting incident in Texas earlier this month. According to a police spokesman, Talib has turned himself in. He posted the $25,000 bond and has been released.

"What will happen next is we file our case with Dallas County, then that case will be presented to a Dallas County grand jury and they will choose whether to indict or not," Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said.

The official charge is aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His mother, who turned herself in on Tuesday, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as felon in possession of a firearm.

Bucs GM Mark Dominik said in a statement on Tuesday that he was "deeply troubled" by the incident but declined further comment citing the current labor situation.

Read the details of the shooting incident here. 

For more on the situation, check out Bucs Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay. 

Continue

Aqib Talib Now Has Warrant Out After Shooting Incident

Texas police have issued a warrant for Bucs CB Aqib Talib after he was allegedly involved in a shooting on March 21st. Check out all the original details of the shooting incident here. Here's a portion of the press release just issued by police:

The information gathered at the scene along with information gathered by detectives on follow up investigations have led police to believe that Aqib Talib attempted to physically assault and did shoot at Shannon Billings. They also believe Okolo Talib, Aqib's mother, shot at Shannon Billings. Based on that information warrants have been obtained for Aqib Talib for Aggravated Assault Deadly with a Weapon and for Okolo Talib for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. The charges are classified as 2nd degree felonies and carry a range of punishment of 5 -20 years in prison.    

Okolo Talib, Aqib's mother, already turned herself in. Aqib is scheduled to turn himself in later this week. Bond for this particular warrant is set at $25,000.

Talib has already had a host of other off-the-field issues and local Tampa columnists are calling for the Bucs to party ways with him so it makes you wonder if this particular incident will end up costing Talib his job.

Continue

Aqib Talib Cooperating With Texas Police In Shooting Incident

The bizarre incident surrounding Bucs CB Aqib Talib continues. For a quick recap, Talib and his mother have been accused of shooting at a man who was reportedly in an argument with his sister. It's unclear exactly what happened but Texas police are getting involved.

According to a report from the St. Petersburg Times, Talib is cooperating with police.

"He is cooperating,'' said Garland police spokesman Joe Harn. "He came and met with (detectives) a little bit the other day.''

The police previously said charges, if any, would probably come later in the week.

"This is still an open case," Joe Harn told Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times.   "Once the detectives have decided, probably later this week, if there are charges that need to be brought against him or not, because of the high-profile interest in this case, we'll have an announcement."

This is the latest in several off-the-field incidents for Talib in his short career. 

Continue

Aqib Talib Reportedly A 'Person Of Interest' In Texas Shooting

The NFL and the NFLPA have disagreed as to whether the personal conduct policy is still valid during the NFL lockout but Buccaneers CB Aqib Talib may be very curious to find out the final answer to that. According to a report from the Dallas Observer, the Garland Police Department in Texas says Talib is a "person of interest" in a March 21st shooting.

No one was shot but there were, according to the report, five rounds fired and police have at least some interest in Talib's role. Talib's sister, Saran, reportedly called Aqib and her mother after some sort of disturbance with her boyfriend, Shannon Billings. Neighbors called 911 to report at least three rounds (with more to follow) fired by a black female at a black male.

According to the report, Billings said Aqib produced a handgun and "attempted to strike him in the face." During the ensuing skirmish Talib dropped the gun and Billings picked it up and began runnning, prompting [Talib's mother] Okolo to produce a gun and fire three shots toward him. Billings told police that Talib then took Okolo's gun, said "I'll shoot him" and fired at least two shots before Billings safely ducked into nearby woods. Neighborhood witnesses corroborated Billings' story.

Billings was found in the area by police and he showed them where the gun had been stashed in a nearby trash can. So the police apparently have physical evidence along with witnesses which would likely be enough to present a case to a grand jury, according to the report.

So the question will come down to A.) whether Talib was shooting at all, B.) whether he was shooting at Billings or C.) whether he was simply shooting in the air away from Billings.

Talib has a history of legal trouble which you can read at the Dallas Observer's report.

Continue