Mike Reiss offered his thoughts on the status of two Patriots free agents in a recent article posted on ESPN Boston.
According to Reiss, impending free agent Aqib Talib could come close to a three or four-year deal worth $6-8 million annually and guarantees in the $12-14 million range.
Reiss still expects Talib to be back in New England next year, but stresses that his asking price will be a big determining factor.
There is no question that Talib will be one of the most sought after free agents and the fact that he plays cornerback will only help to push his asking price higher.
Talib, 27, came over from the Buccaneers in return for a fourth-round pick. Since then, Talib has been the Patriots best cover corner and started the season off great before injuries appeared to take a toll. He was voted to his first Pro Bowl this year and was even named a second team All-Pro cornerback.
The Patriots have some cap space to work with, but they could probably use some more if they plan on locking up Talib long-term. It seems likely that the Patriots will approach some of their high-priced players about restructuring their contracts.
We have him listed as the No. 20 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
Interestingly enough, Reiss mentions that Patriots WR Julian Edelman could find interest from the Houston Texans this offseason.
There was some recent speculation that Edelman could secure a similar contract to that of fellow Patriots WR Danny Amendola who signed a five-year deal worth $28.5 million last year.
Edelman figures to be one of the more interest players to watch throughout free agency given that the Patriots would like to keep him, but he will likely have a lot more interest than the two suitors he found in 2012.
We have him listed as the No. 40 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
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