NFL Rumors: Bucs Must Trade Aqib Talib and Draft Morris Claiborne as Replacement

Aqib Talib is a talented cornerback, but he's also a gigantic headache. That's why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be wise to trade him away and draft LSU's Morris Claiborne to replace him with the No. 5 pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

New Tampa Bay head coach Greg Schiano claimed that, contrary to recent rumors, the Bucs have no interest in trading the cornerback. I appreciate that Schiano wants to remain loyal to the guys currently on his roster, but the Bucs shouldn't give up on dumping Talib.

The Kansas State product has had off-the-field problems ever since being drafted. At the NFL rookie symposium in July 2008, he got into a fistfight with fellow Tampa Bay rookie Cory Boyd. Then, on August 20, 2009, he allegedly battered a taxi driver. In May 2011, he was indicted on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly fired a gun at his sister's boyfriend. 

Talib is a first-round talent on the field, but he's not worth the constant headache he has been off of it. 

The Buccaneers will probably not get much more than a seventh-round pick in exchange for Talib, but with the fifth pick in the first round of this year's draft, they will almost certainly have the opportunity to select LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne to replace him.

Claiborne projects as a shutdown corner in the NFL, and he should reach a Pro Bowl-level in a short amount of time.

The LSU product measures in at around 5'11" and 188 pounds and has extremely long arms for the position. He has decent top-end speed, but his elite instincts help him recover if he ever gets lost in coverage. That rarely happens, though. 

He started his career at LSU as a receiver, so he has outstanding, natural ball skills and should be an interception machine if quarterbacks are willing to throw to his side of the field.

Most importantly, Claiborne has outstanding overall makeup and has had zero off-the-field issues during his career at LSU. 

It is time for the Bucs to move on from the Aqib Talib era and move on to Morris Claiborne.