- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 430,241
- Reaction score
- 44
It's decision time on the 2022 NFL draft class. Players drafted in that class are entering the final year of their rookie contract. The New Orleans Saints will have to make a decision on if Chris Olave and/or Trevor Penning have done enough to earn a fifth-year extension.
Alontae Taylor isn't eligible for a fifth-year extension because he was a second round pick. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine thinks the Saints should prioritize a contract extension for Taylor. This would be a bold move as New Orleans shifts to Brandon Staley's defensive scheme.
Taylor would be a great fifth-year option candidate, if that were on the table. The defensive back is still in a place of proving it, so adding a year to the contract to lock in more time to prove it would make sense. That isn't enough for an extension, though. He has shown flashes of quality play, but it hasn't been sustained enough to feel completely at ease with a long term extension.
Through his three years, Taylor has switched back and forth between outside corner and slot corner. He was productive on the outside as a rookie. That season was highlighted with a strong performance against Davante Adams.
In his second year, however, Taylor struggled with the move to the inside. Those struggles were chalked up to having to learn to be a slot corner after playing on the boundary for his entire life. He showed noticeable improvement at slot before injuries forced Taylor back outside, where he struggled.
The constant movement and inconsistencies mixed with the move to a new system makes giving Taylor an extension before the season a risky move. The odds of him blossoming in Staley's defense are as likely as him struggling. Many feel Taylor is a great fit for that STAR role. His proficiency close to the line of scrimmage at the beginning of the 2024 season suggests he would bode well as an attacking slot. Still, Taylor should have to prove it in Staley's system before an extension is handed out
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: B/R suggests an Alontae Taylor extension, but the Saints should wait
Continue reading...
Alontae Taylor isn't eligible for a fifth-year extension because he was a second round pick. Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine thinks the Saints should prioritize a contract extension for Taylor. This would be a bold move as New Orleans shifts to Brandon Staley's defensive scheme.
Taylor would be a great fifth-year option candidate, if that were on the table. The defensive back is still in a place of proving it, so adding a year to the contract to lock in more time to prove it would make sense. That isn't enough for an extension, though. He has shown flashes of quality play, but it hasn't been sustained enough to feel completely at ease with a long term extension.
Through his three years, Taylor has switched back and forth between outside corner and slot corner. He was productive on the outside as a rookie. That season was highlighted with a strong performance against Davante Adams.
In his second year, however, Taylor struggled with the move to the inside. Those struggles were chalked up to having to learn to be a slot corner after playing on the boundary for his entire life. He showed noticeable improvement at slot before injuries forced Taylor back outside, where he struggled.
The constant movement and inconsistencies mixed with the move to a new system makes giving Taylor an extension before the season a risky move. The odds of him blossoming in Staley's defense are as likely as him struggling. Many feel Taylor is a great fit for that STAR role. His proficiency close to the line of scrimmage at the beginning of the 2024 season suggests he would bode well as an attacking slot. Still, Taylor should have to prove it in Staley's system before an extension is handed out
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: B/R suggests an Alontae Taylor extension, but the Saints should wait
Continue reading...
