Talib wants to stay put
Aqib Talib believes the Broncos are a quarterback away from returning to the top five in the league, and he hopes he’s around to be a part of it.
The veteran cornerback was a guest on Vic Lombardi’s show on Altitude 950 radio this week and said “there’s a chance” he might return for a fifth season but indicated he knows there’s a possibility he won’t.
“If I wasn’t (returning), it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing in the world. You have three corners making big money, and that’s rare to have,” Talib said. “I had conversations with our staff during our exit meetings and stuff, so it’s kind of up in the air. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m still here.
“Just put it like this: I had good conversations with (coach) Vance (Joseph), with (defensive coordinator) Joe Woods. I mean, things change. But there’s a chance I will be back.”
Talib, 31, has two years remaining on the five-year contract he signed with the Broncos in 2014 and carries a salary cap hit of $12 million for next season but only $1 million in “dead money.” That means the Broncos could release him before June 1 and reap a hefty savings, something they’ll probably consider since Bradley Roby’s salary jumps from about $1 million to $8.526 million next season.
“I definitely want to be back. I’d love to retire as a Bronco,” Talib said. “It’s probably the funnest locker room. I met real friends on this team. We’ve got great memories — Super Bowl 50. Not even just the Super Bowl. Off the field, memories together. I love the guys on the team. I love the staff. I’d love to come back.”
Losing a perennial Pro Bowler could sting, too.
For the last two seasons, the Broncos’ offense has struggled — to put it politely — to find consistency and cohesion from their quarterbacks and offensive line. The defense finished among the league’s top five in total yards, passing yards and rushing yards allowed, and figures to be a selling point as the Broncos search for a quarterback.
“I feel like as a defense, we were put in a lot of bad positions,” Talib told Lombardi. “We probably lead the league in drives that started like plus-50. So you get 10 yards and you get a field goal. We were put in a lot of bad positions, so I feel like we get a quarterback who really controls the game — one of those guys I was talking about that really runs the show and controls the game on offense — I feel like we get a quarterback, sky’s the limit for this team. We’ll be right back in them power rankings, top five. We’ll be right back there, man. We’re super talented on ‘D’ and offense.”
After playing four years for John Elway, Talib is convinced the Broncos’ general manager is eyeing a big splash in free agency to fill the void at quarterback.
“Me knowing John, I don’t really know if he wants to rebuild and have two more seasons of 8-8 and 7-9 and ‘we’re getting better,’ ” Talib said. “I don’t know if he’s ready to do that. John is ready to get back to the top because that’s where he belongs.”