Aqib Talib could be perfect mentor for David Long

Aqib Talib is in the perfect position to be a mentor to David Long entering his first season with the Los Angeles Rams.

Due to all of the uncertainty surrounding the cornerback position beyond the 2019 season with Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, the Los Angeles Rams were expected to look at the cornerback position during the 2019 NFL Draft, which they did with David Long in the third round.

Thanks to impressive career at Michigan, the Rams hope to see Long eventually develop into a reliable starter on the defensive side of the football, but for now it looks like the rookie just needs to be a little extra patient.

The good news for Los Angeles is when it comes to Long, the rookie will most likely be understandable if he doesn’t see as much action as he would prefer since this move should be about the long run.

Plus, one of the main positive factors for Long to consider is now that he’s officially a member of the Rams is how he can benefit from one of the best in the game with Talib.

Football fans can say whatever they want about how much of a headache Talib can be at times, but at the end of the day, his talent is undeniable at the NFL level.

In a way, it’s amazing to think about how Talib will be entering his 13th NFL season (second with Rams), and has still proven to play football at a high enough level to make a major impact on the defensive side of the football.

Last year when Los Angeles acquired the veteran cornerback from the Denver Broncos, they knew all along that Talib would most likely only be a short-term answer since it’s tough to continue playing at his age (turned 33 in February).

Similar to Peters, Talib is entering the final year of his contract in 2019, but unlike his teammate, it seems more likely that Los Angeles will move on from Talib after this season, especially if Long has a successful year of development as a rookie.

But until then, the Rams should feel confident that Talib will do whatever it takes to help Long as much as possible to help make the transition that much easier for the rookie.