Buccaneers deal CB Talib to Patriots

The Tampa Buccaneers traded troubled cornerback Aqib Talib to the New England Patriots, the team announced at the NFL trading deadline on Thursday.

The Bucs also sent one of their two seventh-round picks in the 2013 draft to the Pats in the deal. In exchange, Tampa received a fourth-round selection.

Talib, who has 18 career interceptions, joins a Patriots secondary in need of a jolt. New England has the 28th-ranked passing defense, allowing an average 281.1 yards per game.

The NFL trading deadline was moved back two weeks this season, a change that was supposed to initiate more moves. Hurricane Sandy further delayed the deadline 48 hours to 4 pm ET Thursday.

Talib, a first-round pick of the Bucs in 2008, has had a string of off-field incidents, dating back to a scuffle at the NFL rookie symposium. He was arrested after he assaulted a cab driver in Tampa in and then resisted arrest in 2009. Last year, police in Garland, Tex., issued a warrant after suspicion Talib pistol-whipped and shot at the live-in boyfriend of his sister in 2011. Charges in the latter case were dropped.

Talib is currently serving his second NFL suspension after he violated the league’s substance abuse program. Adderall, a drug prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder, was found in his system during training camp. Since he did not have therapeutic use exemption, Talib was suspended four games.

Talib was originally eligible to return Nov. 11. But since the Patriots have a bye this week, Talib won’t be able to make his Pats debut until Nov. 18 against the Indianapolis Colts.