Aqib Talib was a good soldier during his time with the New England Patriots this season. This won't guarantee the cornerback a competitive contract offer from the team, however.
According to Comcast SportsNet New England, the Patriots have lingering concerns about Talib's work ethic that makes them reluctant to hand out a long-term deal to the cornerback.
The source said Talib "passed on the chance to do extra work" during the season, leading the team to worry how he would react to a lucrative extended contract. The source said the Patriots would prefer to sign Talib to a one-year "make good" pact in 2013.
Talib showed his ability during a productive seven-game run with the Patriots, but he only landed on coach Bill Belichick's defense after he played himself out of town with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Talib had repeated run-ins with the law and off-field issues in four-plus seasons with the Bucs and was suspended four games in October for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The Patriots are in a tricky position here. Talib is 26 and in his prime, and he made the secondary markedly better after the November trade. This was made clear in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, when Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco picked the secondary apart after Talib was forced to exit the game with a hamstring injury.
There's likely to be at least one team willing to offer Talib a multiyear deal. If that's the case, his time with the Patriots likely will be of the one-and-done variety.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
