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Lawrence Taylor: Tiki Barber's Comeback A 'Great Move'

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Tiki Barber may have plenty of detractors among Giants fans and ex-teammates, but don't count Lawrence Taylor as one of them.

The Giants acknowledged last week Barber asked to be taken off the reserve-retirement list and that they will release him once the league allows it.

"Great move, as soon as I heard it I said, 'That's a great move,' " Taylor told the NY Post. "When I thought about it 20 years ago I had let myself go, but I've seen Tiki a bunch of times over the years and he's really taken care of himself. He's got to prove himself, but I know he'll work his butt off to do it."

 

So after four years in retirement, Barber is working out daily, trying to get back into the hard-hitting NFL grind.

It won't be with the Giants, though.

"We wish Tiki nothing but the best, and when we are able to make the transaction, we will release him from our reserve-retired list," the Giants said in a statement.

Taylor thinks Barber would be a good addition to any team.

"I'd rather have a Tiki Barber than some unknown third-rounder," said Taylor. "He's going to be fine. He should go play for another 2-4 years if he thinks he can do it."

Not everyone agrees.

"We all disagree with how he left and what he said," Justin Tuck told the Daily News last week. "(Tiki's return) would pose problems … there would be some rebuilding he would have to do."

"Tiki Barber the person? The leader? The person in that locker room? He's not going to do anything for your team," Antonio Pierce seethed during a television spot. "Now if that's the guy you think you're bringing in, you might want to look in another direction, because from personal experience, he didn't do anything to help the Giants the last year, especially 2006 when he decided to retire in the middle of season ... Can he do it four years later? I don't think he can."

Maybe LT is right, Barber will be able to hack it in the NFL. But if he can't, there's always the Las Vegas Locomotives.

Does Tiki have anything at all left in the tank? Sound off in the comments below...

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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