BREAKING: Saints Block Alontae Taylor Trade to Bears as Team Receives ‘Unexpected Offer’ for Cornerback
Alontae Taylor almost got shipped off to the Chicago Bears prior to the deadline
Unbeknownst to fans, a team other than the Indianapolis Colts were close to trading for Alontae Taylor. Dennis Allen and the Chicago Bears were interested in the cornerback, but the trade fell through. Although the compensation would be nice, the New Orleans Saints must be thrilled he’s on their roster after Taylor’s performance against the Carolina Panthers.
Every year, you have reports of deals that almost happened around the trade deadline, and this year was no different. NFL insider Ian Rapoport detailed the fallout of the trade deadline. He noted how Taylor was close to being dealt for the Colts before they traded for Sauce Gardner, which was known, then Rapoport revealed how close Taylor was to moving to the Windy City.
“In fact, sources say the Bears were deep in talks for Taylor before a deal ended up falling through,” Rapoport wrote. He went on to point out Taylor's obvious connection to former Saints head coach turned Bears defensive coordinator. Clearly, Allen was in a mood to reunite, because after this trade fell through, Chicago quickly scooped up C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The results have been better than anyone expected.
The Bears were a great landing spot for Alontae Taylor, but he fits better on the Saints
Taylor has proven to be impactful in Allen's scheme, so there's no doubt Taylor would’ve thrived in a reunion. In addition, the Bears have a clear need in the secondary, so he would see meaningful snaps. Regardless of all this, the Saints are still the perfect team for him. That was evident in his performance in the Saints 17-7 win against the Panthers.
Taylor had six tackles, a tackle for loss, and an interception on Sunday. What makes him so impactful is how he produces in multiple areas. Taylor obviously plays a big role in pass coverage but frequently makes plays as a run defender and a pass rusher.
This makes him the perfect player for Brandon Staley’s defensive scheme. Staley allows Taylor to play all over and maximizes his role by letting him do different things. His role could be completely different in three consecutive snaps. This keeps the quarterback guessing and puts Taylor in his best role to succeed.
The Saints nearly traded Alontae Taylor twice, but in retrospect, it may have been the right move to keep him. He would have thrived in the Bears system, but he’s playing his best football in New Orleans currently.
Jakobi Meyers Sends Emotional Farewell to Raiders: ‘A Special Message’ for Fans
The Las Vegas Raiders' decision to trade Jakobi Meyers was not an easy one.
Raiders' Plans
Meyers always let it be known he wanted to stay in Las Vegas, just with a new contract. His issue was never with his teammates or coaching staff. Before his first game with the Jaguars, Meyers took a moment to send a message to his former Raiders teammates.
"Shoutout to my boys in Vegas. It's going to turn around. Y'all boys keep playing hard. I love y'all boys, I miss y'all boys," Meyers said.
Shortly after Meyers was traded,
"I don't look at WR1s or WR2s or WR3s. We're trying to figure out whoever catches the ball and runs really fast with it in the direction of the end zone is really good for us. So, wide receiver one and all that other stuff, I don't think we've ever looked at it like that as a staff,” Kelly said.
“We have certain positions, what does our Z do? What does our X do? What does our slot receiver do? That's how we kind of look at positions, but we don't look at - some weeks, the inside guys will be featured more, because that matchup is better for you. And then some weeks, the matchup on the outside is better for you, so those guys are featured more.
“But a lot of it obviously in all these situations, the defense, they have a say in the matter. So I think that's part of what the game is. There's a chess match that goes on within the game of, how are they going to defend you? You thought going into the game it was going to be one way, and then it is that way.
“So you kind of continue with the plan that you've made all week. But I've been in games where you thought they were going to defend you a certain way, and then they don't defend you like that at all. So you have to pivot, because they made a decision to pivot. So, that's the game within the game."
