Greg Schiano’s Signature All Over Aqib Talib’s Departure

Greg Schiano is a fair coach. He came to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and gave the “worst Buccaneer” yet another chance.

Aqib Talib had a fresh start, another do-over, the proverbial clean slate. He simply couldn’t resist throwing mud all over it.

Schiano, the man who gave us “toes on the line” pointed Talib’s toes out the door of One Buccaneer Place. It was time to do the right thing, the proper thing for the organization, time to make Talib someone else’s problem.

On Thursday, the Bucs traded a rotten apple for a possible bag of candy. They salvaged a fourth round pick in the 2013 draft from the New England Patriots for No. 25 and a seventh round pick. Hooray for Schiano and Mark Dominik.

The bad seed that was planted by Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden grew into an unmanageable weed, nurtured by Raheem Morris. The bad weed has finally been pulled and sent far away.

Schiano said “Trust us on this one,” when Talib was busted for Adderall use and hit with a four-game suspension. Schiano said to trust him, trust Dominik, trust that they would do the best thing for the Bucs. They did.

Their choices were simple. First, they could simply welcome Talib back after his suspension, then either play him or sit him and simply let his contract expire at the end of the season, sending him to free agency. Second, they could cut him, get nothing for him and basically be forced to pay the remainder of his salary while he went out and got a deal from a new team, thus allowing him to “double dip.” He would be paid by both the Buccaneers and the new team. That would seem very unfair for a man who has proven he can be trusted to behave. Third, the Bucs could try and trade him and that’s what they did.

Trading Talib was a miracle of sorts. They got something for him. They made their problem child, someone else’s problem child, Bill Belichick’s  problem child.

For Schiano, it shows that he means what he says. His core belief for his football team is “trust and accountability” and Talib failed miserably on both counts. To bring Talib back and play him would have gone against what Schiano preaches to his team. No way Schiano could get rid of Kellen Winslow, Tanard Jackson and Brian Price then turn around and say “yes” to Talib.

Talib simply ran out of chances. This one was simply five or six strikes and you’re out.

Sure, Talib’s return might have helped the secondary. But consider the Bucs are 2-1 without him.

Good riddance to a “bad Buc.”

Aqib Talib simply didn’t fit Schiano’s mold of a “Buccaneer Man.”

It was time for him to go.