The Las Vegas Raiders have been linked to a handful of defensive backs rumored to be available via trade or free agency. The next name starting to appear on that list is New Orleans Saints CB Alontae Taylor, who is currently playing good football on a winless team.
New Orleans Saints CB Alontae Taylor Named a Top Trade Option for Las Vegas Raiders
John Sigler of Saints Wire was tasked with trying to identify potential deals for the struggling Saints and named the Las Vegas Raiders as a potential landing spot for CB Alontae Taylor ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline.
Sigler wrote, “Taylor could be a perfect fit in Pete Carroll’s physical Las Vegas Raiders secondary, sliding into the slot right away — taking over for beleaguered defenders Jamal Adams (6 catches allowed on just 26 coverage snaps) and Darnay Holmes (9 catches on 43 snaps).
The Raiders saw veteran CB Eric Stokes pick up a knee injury in the 25-24 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears on Sunday, which makes an already shaky cornerback room that much thinner.
This could prompt the 1-3 Raiders to explore options via trade in an attempt to keep them in the AFC playoff picture.
Additionally, the Saints‘ financial books are still a bit of a mess. Last year, New Orleans parted ways with veteran CB Marshon Lattimore by trading him to the Washington Commanders ahead of the trade deadline after the season started moving in the wrong direction. The Saints could be more open to acquiring future assets to accelerate a rebuild effort if they believe the season is lost.
Few teams are allocating as little salary cap dollars to cornerbacks as the Raiders, so they could easily justify an extension if Taylor plays well the rest of the year,” added Sigler. “They have as much as $95 million to spend next year. If the Saints don’t plan on paying Taylor themselves, this sets up everyone for a fresh start. We’ll throw in a future pick to keep the Raiders GM happy; the Saints have three of them in 2028’s seventh round.
How Would Alontae Taylor Joining the Raiders Shake Up the Las Vegas Secondary?
First off, the addition of Alontae Taylor would likely prevent rookie CB Darien Porter from seeing an expanded role. Second, this could immediately solve the depth concerns regarding Eric Stokes’ knee injury.
Taylor has lined up in the slot frequently for the Saints this season. According to PFF, out of his 68 snaps from the slot this year, Taylor has given up just nine receptions. This is the role that Darnay Holmes has had some trouble this season, giving up the same amount of receptions on 25 fewer snaps.
Taylor’s ability to play on the boundary or in the slot could be a valuable bit of versatility for this young secondary.
Taylor’s comfort playing in the slot also allows him to occasionally heat-up the quarterback on blitzes from the nickelback spot. The Tennessee product recorded a sack back in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals and has 14 total tackles on the year.
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