ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As one of the most intriguing, entertaining and best players in the NFL, Aqib Talib draws a wide variety of opinions. On the field, he’s one of the best at his craft. In the film room, he’s a leader. However, it’s his honesty that sets him apart to his fellow teammates.
“If you want some honesty, go to Talib. Go to Talib. He’s a straight shooter,” safety Darian Stewart said earlier in the offseason. “That’s one thing you respect about him. He’s not going to sugar coat nothing or beat around the bush. He’s going to tell you, and he’s going to be honest with you.”
In his first appearance to the media since finding out he won’t be suspended for shooting himself last offseason, Talib put his honesty on display in the spotlight.
While he didn’t divulge the specifics of shooting himself in the leg last June, he wasn’t afraid to pick apart the differences from last year and the start of this year. When asked if the vibe is different this year compared to last year due to all of the changes that have taken place, Talib responded, “It is.”
“Our urgency is there, man. In all honesty, I don’t think our urgency was there last year,” he said on the first day of voluntary mini camp. “We were kind of in recovery mode the whole offseason [last year]. Our urgency is there. I think that’s where it starts. We are going to work; it’s just about how urgent we are. I feel like the urgency is definitely there.”
Other than not coming off a Super Bowl victory a few months before, the other major difference this offseason compared to last is the new coach leading the charge. In his first address to the team at the start of the offseason workout program on April 10, Vance Joseph had a simple and direct message to his team: “The Honeymoon is over; it’s football time.”
“[We have] 38 days to get ready for the Fall season,” Joseph stressed to his team a couple weeks back. “There is not much time. There is no time to waste.”
With roughly five months left until the start of the regular season, Joseph wanted his new team to be on their heels. According to Talib, who’s as honest as they come according to his teammates, Joseph’s message has come through loud and clear.
On Tuesday, the Broncos took the field for the first time in the offseason for the first of their three-day voluntary mini camp. For his first on-field workout as head coach, Joseph said his message of urgency translated to the field, “The players were engaged.”
“We can’t waste a day, whether it was full speed or a walk through, we can’t waste a day,” he said. “It’s only a nine or ten-week offseason, so every rep counts. They practiced that way. It was intense; it was engaging, everyone was into it today.”
With less than 30 offseason workouts left to prepare for training camp, Joseph hopes that the team will continue to stay hungry with a sense of urgency, unlike it did last year.
