Rams May have gotten even more than they thought in Peters and Talib

The Rams May have gotten even more than they thought in Peters and Talib

Vincent Bonsignore

link: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/07/27/the-rams-may-have-gotten-even-more-than-they-thought-in-peters-and-talib/

The Rams may have gotten even more than they thought in Peters and Talib

IRVINE – It’s only been a few months together, this Rams’ super cornerback grouping of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. A handful of OTA’s and a minicamp and now three days of training camp in Irvine.

But already some conclusions can be drawn.

The teaming of Peters and Talib as a pair of bookend lockdown cornerbacks has the potential to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers. Primarily through their immaculate fundamentals and elite athletic ability, which allows them to smother opposing wide receivers with airtight coverage. But also a mutual and uncanny understanding of their position that fuels them with the requisite wisdom and confidence to brazenly take chances a less confident contemporary wouldn’t dare think of, let alone attempt.

One way or another they are going to win the battle. Be it by running stride for stride with their assigned wide receiver and eliminating them from the play, or by brashly and cunningly luring a quarterback into false security only to emerge as ball-hawking thieves.

As Rams quarterback Jared Goff put it: “They don’t just go by the book on every single play. There’s a little bit of feel here and there. That’s what makes that position and those players really good.”

Peters has 19 regular-season interceptions and 55 passes defended across his first three NFL seasons, the most in the NFL in both categories. Talib, now entering his 12th season, gave up just 250 receiving yards in 2017 per Pro Football Focus and has not allowed a pass completion of more than 32 yards over the last two seasons.

Pair all that brilliance together, as the Rams did by trading for Peters and Talib last offseason, and the potential for something special seems inevitable.

“It’s definitely got a chance to cause some issues for some teams,” said Goff.

But another, more surprising conclusion can be drawn during their early stages of training camp. Talib and Peters seem joined at the hip. Where you see one, you are bound to see the other. They are training camp roommates, which means long conversations deep into the night covering football and life and the art of playing one of the most challenging positions in all of sports.

“Yeah, definitely,” Talib said. “I know the defense and he’s learning the defense. So, at night he’ll ask me any questions when he’s watching the tape and all of that. So, we’re good.”

They ride together to practice in a shared golf cart – of course, Talib, the older of the two, gets driving privileges. They are never far from each other on the field, be it while getting a cardio workout in riding adjourning stationary bikes or during stretching periods or individual position drills or talking things out on the sideline after 11 on 11 or 7 on 7 work.

“I guess we’re both new here. So, we’re feeling our way through it together,” Talib said.

True.

But there is more to it than just that.

Turns out Talib, now entering the twilight of his career, has willingly pulled Peters under his wing with the intent on imparting as much knowledge as he can, for as long as he can, on his young pupil.

And Peters, the son of a high school football coach and carrying a high degree of respect and appreciation for football and the players that preceded him, is eagerly soaking up as much as he can.

“Man I can learn a lot,” Peters said. “He’s playing what, his 11th year. So he’s played a whole lot of ball, Me, I’m just going into my fourth year so I can learn a lot from him. And for as much time as we have together, I’m just going to keep soaking it all in.

That it isn’t forced on Talib’s part and is willingly accepted on Peters makes it all so natural. What could have been contrived is absolutely genuine. The realness with which Talib came at Peters is a tip of the cap to how older players took his younger self under their wings years ago. And Peters, wise enough beyond his years to understand the older Talib now graciously returning the favor by mentoring him, is embracing the process.

“See, I just think that’s what OG’s did, back in the day. You feel me? So I understand and I appreciate it” Peters said. “When he was in Tampa Bay, his OG was Ronde Barber. And then when he started making his way up in the game he became an OG. He did an excellent job in Denver, helping Chris Harris. And now here, with me.”

Nevertheless, it says a little bit about Talib that he’s so willing to share knowledge with Peters. And even more so about Peters, who eagerly hangs on every word. It doesn’t always work that way in today’s world, in which the insatiable quest for success sometimes overpowers the natural tendency to help. Or, worse, renders us suspicious of a helping hand to begin with.

Somewhat refreshing, then, when two proud, elite professionals can share in one another the kind of mutual respect that makes the imparting of knowledge so easy and the acceptance of it even easier.

Peter’s ability to do the latter was immediately obvious to Talib, who’s been blown away by his young teammate’s obvious love for the game and eagerness to listen and learn even more.

“I don’t think people talk about that enough,” Talib said. “That guys love football. He reminds me of myself. I love football and that’s what people don’t talk about enough. His work ethic and how much he loves the game. If you love it that much, you’ll get the job done. That’s why he plays the way he plays because he loves it.”

Three days into training camp, it’s obvious the Rams cornerback tandem appears as good as predicted. But the Rams seem to have gotten even more in pairing Peters and Talib together than they originally thought.