The New Orleans Saints are being urged to re-sign their 26-year-old star cornerback in free agency

"At some point, Mickey Loomis' habit of kicking contract dollars down the road will catch up to the New Orleans Saints. Right now, New Orleans is projected to be $15.3 million over the 2026 salary cap," Knox wrote. "While Loomis will inevitably figure out how to create some wiggle room before the start of the new league year, he'd be wise to extend cornerback Alontae Taylor now.

"Taylor will only turn 27 next month, and he possesses the sort of inside-outside versatility that will make him attractive on the open market. And while some players might jump at the chance to leave New Orleans for a legitimate contender, Taylor has 'kept lines of communication open' with the Saints regarding his contract status, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler."

Taylor is a star in the making on the Saints defense. He hasn't reached his highest level of play yet, but the Saints need to make sure he's still on the team when he does.

It likely wouldn't break the bank to re-sign him, which is the main reason the Saints should be pursuing a new contract aggressively. Finding good cornerbacks is as difficult as any position in the sport, so the Saints need to retain their talented defensive back while they have the chance.

The Saints should be more concerned about the Colts' interest in Alontae Taylor than Da Bears

The Bears interest is a little harder to gauge. They have multiple corners, but they were also devastated by injuries. The Bears picked up Gardner-Johnson, and that feels like a couple week stopgap, with Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon just getting activated from injured reserve. A trade for Taylor would have suggested a more long term move. Dennis Allen may or may not push to grab one of his former players again this offseason, but the Colts' interest sends a clear message.

A team sees Taylor as an outside corner, and they may not be alone. That's bad news for anyone who wants to keep Taylor in New Orleans once his deal expires.

The more teams that view Taylor on the outside corner, the higher the chances of him walking in free agency. To keep it simple, outside corners get paid much more than slot corners. The Bears just made Gordon the highest paid slot corner at slightly over $13 million per year. That's not even top 20 among all corners.

Taylor hasn't earned top flight slot corner money, and the Saints would be unwise to give him that. If a team views Taylor as a mid tier corner, however, he could still out-earn what he would get paid to predominantly play in the slot.

Taylor plays an important position in Brandon Staley's defense, but there's no reason to get into a bidding war for him. If another team sees him on the outside, that's a bidding war the Saints are surely going to lose. It's a scenario that feels likely and only adds to the regret of not dealing Taylor at the deadline.