may not have been the most conventional captain the Broncos have ever had, but he earned that distinction last fall because he was highly respected by the players inside the team’s locker room.
It was no surprise, then, that news of the veteran cornerback’s trade to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday evening, a deal that netted the Broncos a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, was met with a wave of social media reaction from teammates new and old.
And that reaction quickly produced a potential new nickname for the secondary Talib joins in Los Angeles, which also includes new editions at cornerback in Marcus Peters and veteran Sam Shields.
“NO FLY 2.0?!?!!!!” Rams and former Broncos cornerback asked on Twitter, suggesting Los Angeles now has the secondary to match the No Fly Zone unit that helped guide the Broncos to a 50 victory.
NO FLY 2.0 ?!?!!!! LEGGGOOOO
— kwebb (@kayvonwebster)
Others were immediately imagining the damage Talib could help cause for a defense that also includes highly touted safety Lamarcus Joyner and the other starter at the position, 2017 all-rookie selection John Johnson. Not to mention the reunion with defensive coordinator , a prospect that had former Rams great Eric Dickerson excited:
Great move by reuniting with . Welcome to the Rams family Aqib! It's time to win a Super Bowl!
— Eric Dickerson (@EricDickerson)
Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp gave his thoughts on the direction his team was trending in the wake of the trade:
📈📈📈
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp)
Other players from around the league gave their two cents as well:
https://twitter.com/TreWhite16/status/971916848630509570
😳Peters and Talib…
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon)
Broncos players past and present, meanwhile, offered their appreciation for a player who earned four berths in as many seasons in Denver:
No lie ima miss my brother learn so much. Fam forever!!!!!! Learn a lot from you big bro excited for you 💯
— Cj Anderson (@cjandersonb22)
https://twitter.com/SteveAtwater27/status/971928555310391296
Then there were those who simply wanted to have a little fun with Talib’s history with a certain AFC West wide receiver:
Crabtree celebrating his chains livelihood after finding out Aqib Talib got traded to the .
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho)
