In the first round, I feel that I was able to secure the top offensive player in Danny Amendola. Amendola was the top player on my draft board, and will be a potent weapon for me on offense.
And while I was tempted to go offense again in the second round, the player just weren’t there. After Rob Gronkowski, Shane Veren, and Julian Edelman went back-to-back-to-back, I ended up going with the best available defensive player. That player is cornerback Aqib Talib.
Yes, Talib is a big, physical cover cornerback. And flag football is often a game of quickness and speed. That being said, I don’t think Talib’s athleticism at all. People may forget, perhaps due to his size or his hip injuries in 2012, Talib is a very athletic player. Talib ran a very impressive 4.44 at the 2008 combine as well as an eye opening 6.82 in the 3-cone drill. Some of the other “quick” players on the Patriots roster had similar or slower 3-cone times. Shane Vereen had a 6.95 and Julian Edelman ran a 6.62 (an absolutely insane number).
Nonetheless, Aqib Talib is a better cornerback than Julian Edelman is a receiver. At the end of the day, I believe that Aqib Talib is the best pass defender the Patriots have. His best fit is probably on the outside. But in t-shirts and shorts, I wouldn’t have any problem shadowing him on my opponent’s number one, even if it is a traditional slot guy. And heck, if his interception return against Colts in 2012 is any indication, you might have to keep an eye out for him on offense as well.
So there you have it. Two picks down, and I’ve got the best player on both offense and defense. It’s my world, and Alec, Rich, and Adam are just living in it.