8:30 p.m.: With the Patriots heading into their bye week, there's already speculation that Talib could make his debut during the Pats' Week 11 contest.
Either way, to read some analysis on what Talib brings to the able (both good and bad) for New England, check out this piece by NESN.com NFL beat writer Luke Hughes.
4:50 p.m.: And the rest of the Buccaneers-Patriots trade has been divulged.
In addition to Talib moving, the sides will swap 2013 draft picks to complete the deal, with New England getting the Bucs' seventh-round pick in exchange for the Patriots' fourth-round selection.
4:40 p.m.: You might have guessed that Talib is a so-called "character issue" guy with a four-game suspension to his name — and you would be correct.
Talib was in a fight with another rookie during the NFL's Rookie Symposium back in 2008, was arrested for allegedly beating a cab driver in 2010 and was indicted for allegedly firing a gun at his sister's boyfriend in 2011.
The Patriots have had success with "character issue" guys in the past (Randy Moss, Corey Dillon) but have also had their flops (Chad Johnson, Albert Haynesworth). Which of those two camps Talib works his way into remains to be seen.
4:25 p.m.: As we wait for the details to emerge in this deal, a quick primer on Talib might be helpful.
The 26-year-old corner was suspended four games earlier this season after violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Talib said in a statement that the drug was Adderal, and the fifth-year pro has one game left on his suspension. Since the Pats are on a bye this week, he will need to sit out their
next game against Buffalo before being eligible to return the following
week, against Indianapolis.
As Yahoo! Sports' Brian McIntyre notes, Talib is owed $871,765 for the rest of the season, and will be a free agent for 2013.
4:15 p.m.: Wait just a minute!
In what qualifies as a blockbuster on an otherwise uneventful day, the Patriots have traded for Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib.
More details are sure to follow, and it's not clear yet who the Patriots gave up. New England fans are likely thrilled at the prospect of some badly needed secondary help, but the cost of that help could put a damper on those celebrations.
4:05 p.m.: Hopefully your fantasy football league had more action at its trade deadline than the NFL did at its trade deadline this year.
The 4 p.m. deadline is here, and there's nothing at all to report really. There's always the chance that some deal came in right before the deadline, which we'd hear about a little after 4. However, there were no real rumors at all, so it's probably safe to assume there was nothing in the works.
We'll be sure to send along any updates that come along.
3:40 p.m.: There is less than half an hour until the deadline, and there appears to be nothing lined up.
That's where we're at. This will all be over soon.
3 p.m.: And we're about an hour away from the deadline. Still nothing at all to report.
There are still no rumors, either. In fact, a quick look across the Twitter-verse has plenty of beat writers tweeting that while there's always the chance that Team X makes a trade before the deadline, it's pretty unlikely.
1:55 p.m.: Yawn.
We have about two hours to go, and not only are the trade winds quiet, there aren't even any rumors right now.
The NFL deadline is notoriously quiet, but we haven't even stumbled across any rumors this afternoon.
It's interesting that we haven't even heard anything about Tampa Bay running back LeGarrette Blount. It was all but certain that he would be on his way out, but that chatter has apparently quieted for the time being.
12:42 p.m.: We're a little more than three hours from the deadline, and the only news is no news.
Stay tuned.
11:39 a.m.: Bill Belichick summed up the trade deadline as well as anyone at his news conference on Thursday.
Q: The trade deadline is coming up here in a couple hours. It does not seem like there is much activity around the league but behind the scenes for you, how much work is it for you as you approach the deadline?
BB: I think there are always a few conversations and a few phone calls. I think that’s kind of normal.
Q: Is there a reason why there aren’t a lot of deals that get made at the deadline?
BB: Evidently two teams can’t agree on either the compensation or the trade or there’s not a motivation to do it.
Awesome!
11:30 a.m.: Tim Tebow isn't expected to be going anywhere before 4, which should surprise no one, given Woody Johnson's infatuation with the noodle-armed signal-caller.
However, Tebow does reportedly have a new girlfriend, which is kind of neat. Here's more on that, if you're into that kind of thing.
Tim Tebow spotted with his new reported girlfriend, Camilla Belle, doing some bowling
Tim Tebow and Camilla Belle form athlete/actress power couple
11:16 a.m.: So yeah, we braced you for the lack of activity over the course of the day. Hopefully you believed it.
This is the latest on DeAngelo Williams, from Steve Reed, who covers the Carolina Panthers for The Associated Press.
Via Twitter: "For those curious, there's nothing shaking on the DeAngelo Williams trade front and, as of right now, no deal is expected.before deadline."
11 a.m.: Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie has seen fewer reps on the Baltimore O-line as of late, leading some to speculate he could be on the move.
Arizona was floated as a potential destination.
That, however, now sounds unlikely to happen before the deadline.
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweeted this on Thursday morning:
"Hearing the Cardinals don't have interest in trading for Bryant McKinnie, move unlikely"
10:30 a.m.: By the way, don't hold your breath on any sort of blockbuster deals at the deadline, like we see in every other sport.
If you think back to last year, it was quarterback Carson Palmer who was traded to Oakland in one of the biggest deadline deals in league history. And the Bengals didn't have much of a choice, either, considering Palmer was "retired" because he refused to play in Cincinnati.
So, yeah, that's what we're dealing with.
10:20 a.m. ET: The NFL trade deadline is upon us, albeit two days late, thanks to Hurricane Sandy.
Teams have until 4 p.m. ET to wheel and deal, and while trades are usually pretty scarce in the NFL, there are a few names who could be moved on Thursday.
The biggest may be DeAngelo Williams, who looks to be the odd man out in what has become a crowded Carolina Panthers backfield. NESN.com's Doug Kyed tooks a look at that right here.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Titans tight end Jared Cook may be one of the most underrated tight ends in the league, and he could be moved as well, at least if he has it his way. He reportedly requested a trade, and in the right system, he could flourish.
Then, of course, there are the long shots out there as well. Tim Tebow and Steven Jackson are two players who heard their names come up in rumors, but it sounds unlikely that either will be traded.
Stay with NESN.com throughout the day for updates and analysis on all of the rumors.
