Tag: Alontae Taylor

What is Marshon Lattimore’s trade value if Saints make a move?

A Marshon Lattimore trade has been frequently discussed, but how much could the Saints get in return? Bleacher Report says at least a third-round pick:

They’re back at it again. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine took a look at the New Orleans Saints potentially dealing Marshon Lattimore. It’s been discussed frequently, but Ballentine does look at it from a different angle.

Ballentine listed players who should be traded before roster cuts. It’s common to see players get dealt around this time of the year. Ballentine looked at why the Saints should trade Lattimore, and how much they could get back in return.

It’s important the Saints get good value in return for one of their best playmakers. Ballentine argued they should trade their star cornerback to prioritize the future, recouping a draft pick or two and opening up salary cap dollars to be spent elsewhere. That includes paying Paulson Adebo. Solid premise but let’s get to the main event, compensation. Ballentine said the Saints should look for a “at least a third round pick.”

It’s hard to see Lattimore even commanding a third-round pick, let alone “at least” that much. Yes he’s extremely talented and would be worthy of a third and then some if he were healthy. The thing is he hasn’t been for the past two years. Even right now, Lattimore is working his way back from a hip flexor injury.

So what is Lattimore’s trade value? That is a difficult one to really settle in on. For as talented as he is, he’s only played 17 games in two years, the equivalent of a single season. You’re not getting full value on a player with those concerns.

If the Saints trade Lattimore they should look for a trade package with a  conditional pick attached. If you could get a fourth-round pick that could turn into a third-round selection if he hits a threshold for games played or percentage of snaps. But as we’ve said before, if that’s the best they can get then they’re better off not trading him at all. The situation isn’t so toxic that anyone’s hand should be forced. Hopefully Lattimore heals up, plays well, and these questions get answered another time.

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Alontae Taylor has a unique perspective on Saints’ new offense

Alontae Taylor drove home the benefits his defense gets from practicing against the Saints’ new offense by referencing a bad Rams loss from 2023:

You’ve heard many New Orleans Saints defenders praise the potential benefits of facing the new Klint Kubiak offensive scheme, including veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. The praise has been broad until now. But third-year defensive back Alontae Taylor can point specifically to a matchup with the Los Angeles Rams last season that is reminiscent of this system.

Sean McVay’s Rams and Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers have become the two feeder systems of the NFL playbook as other teams, including the Saints, play copycat. So some similarities are expected when they both move the ball in similar ways. Motion before and after the snap is critical in each system.

Taylor pointed to his struggles versus the Rams being connected to the misdirection and visual tricks presented by Klint Kubiak’s offense when speaking with local reporters on Friday.

“It kind of gives me a flashback to the Rams game, man. I had so many misreads, eyes were bad, all those things. Now I’m in practice, now I can practice it. Maybe I mess up here or there but this is where I’m making it better. And so those guys are doing all those motions, I have to put my eyes in the right place. I feel like I’ve done a really good job with better eyes here in camp. Just continue to grow in that area.”

He isn’t the only one who feels that way. Head coach Dennis Allen said Taylor had grown by “leaps and bounds” compared to where he was last summer. More experience and a full-time commitment to mastering the slot is paying off, even if he’s had to take his lumps.

Certainly, that was a learning experience for Taylor. Facing this offense on a daily basis will train the eyes. This style of offense has taken over the league, so the Saints will certainly face teams with the same principles — including a rematch with the Rams in Week 13.

“Their scheme is good, man. You really have to have perfect eyes every single play and if you don’t, there’s going to be big plays.” It’s a lesson he learned the hard way. Taylor was benched after giving up 6 catches for 90 yards and 4 first down conversions in that prime-time loss in L.A. He’s eager to get his lick back.

In many ways, Taylor took the general praise for the Saints’ offense and emphasized it by calling back to that game last year. He and the team were exploited in that Thursday night game. It gives fans a visual representation of how the new Saints offense can steady the defense. Maybe next time it’ll be their offense running amok.

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Dennis Allen shares encouraging update on Marshon Lattimore injury

Dennis Allen shared an encouraging update on Marshon Lattimore’s injury: ‘I’m not losing a lot of sleep over it right now’

You’d be hard-pressed to find many coaches who are less worried about their top cornerback going down with an injury than Dennis Allen. Even fewer of them would be keeping their cool if that happened in the first week of training camp. And while Allen acknowledged that it is far from an ideal situation, he isn’t piling on Marshon Lattimore after the four-time Pro Bowler suffered a hip flexor injury last week.

“Well, look, I think any time guys have injuries and miss significant time, and then you get to training camp and they’re dealing with something else that’s going to cause them to miss some time, yeah, it’s concerning. And yet, I’m not losing a lot of sleep over it right now,” Allen told local media after Monday’s practice session.

Allen pointed to the team’s depth at corner as a big source of reassurance, leaning on guys like Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and Kool-Aid McKinstry as some who “can pick up the slack when he’s unavailable.” He’s seen Adebo and Taylor come through when needed, and McKinstry is a fine replacement (if not an outright upgrade) for Isaac Yiadom, who filled in well when Lattimore missed time last year. He’s singled out McKinstry before as someone who stands to gain from extremely valuable practice reps as Lattimore’s immediate backup.

Still, Allen is eager to see Lattimore back in action and playing to be the best of his abilities. He continued: “Certainly I want him to get healthy, I want him back out here, I think he’s a big part of what we do defensively. When we’re at we’re best he’s playing at a high level. And so hopefully he’ll be able to get his rehab done and get back out here sooner rather than later.”

Hip flexor injuries often take at least a week to work out, with the most serious cases sidelining players for up to six weeks. So in a worst-case scenario Lattimore might miss the rest of training camp and the preseason games before being cleared in time for Week 1. If the injury were more severe Allen probably wouldn’t be speaking about it so glibly. We’ll keep an eye out for Lattimore’s return to practice.

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Dennis Allen: Kool-Aid McKinstry has ‘extremely valuable’ opportunity

Kool-Aid McKinstry has an ‘extremely valuable’ opportunity at Saints training camp. Dennis Allen says every snap counts for the rookie draft pick:

You never want to see a player like Marshon Lattimore sidelined by injury. He’s arguably the best talent on the team, and the New Orleans Saints know it. But if there is a silver lining to his absence with a hip flexor injury, it’s that rookie second-round draft pick Kool-Aid McKinstry has a great opportunity to learn on the job as Lattimore’s immediate replacement.

McKinstry missed the Saints’ offseason program while recovering from foot surgery; medical checkups at the NFL Scouting Combine diagnosed him with a Jones fracture, which may have played a part in his fall in the draft. So just how valuable is this opportunity for McKinstry? Just ask Saints head coach Dennis Allen.

“Well, extremely valuable, you know. He’s a rookie that missed all of spring,” Allen said after practice on Saturday. “So he’s a thousand reps behind. So every rep that he can get is a learning experience for him. Good news for him, is that he’s smart. He comes from a system that did a lot, in college. Fundamentally and technique, he’s sound. And yet there’s differences in terms of how we do things compared to what he did in college, and so he has to get up to speed on those things. But he’ll be a quick study. And, look, he’s just got to get out here and get the reps.”

Allen isn’t the only one who feels that way. McKinstry’s old coach Nick Saban said the same of him at this year’s NFL draft, calling McKinstry one of the most intelligent and pro-ready defensive backs in the entire rookie class. Whether Lattimore is out of action for just one week or six weeks, McKinstry should have every opportunity to adapt to the pro game and compete for reps come Week 1.

How things may shape up is anyone’s guess. Alontae Taylor has been competing with McKinstry to start in the slot, with Lattimore and Paulson Adebo entrenched out wide. If Lattimore returns to health in time for the season opener, as is likely, McKinstry would go back to battling with Taylor at a position he hasn’t played often. Either way, whenever the Saints call his number and put him in the lineup, valuable snaps at practice like these will ensure he’s ready for it.

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WATCH: Alontae Taylor mic’d up at Saints training camp

Alontae Taylor wore a microphone at Friday’s New Orleans Saints training camp practice, and he made sure not to disappoint those listening in:

Alontae Taylor wore a microphone at Friday’s New Orleans Saints training camp practice, and he made sure not to disappoint those listening in. The third-year cornerback has embraced his role defending the slot in Dennis Allen’s defense, and he took time to check in on his less-experienced teammates like rookie corner Kool-Aid McKinstry and recently-signed backup Mac McCain.

It’s clear Taylor brings a lot of energy to each practice session. He’s a fast talker and shared his take on everything from the DJ’s music choices (“We need to be listening to, like, some Alicia Keys. Anthony Hamilton. Fantasia, for sure,”) to his teammates’ jersey numbers (“Four two. That Jackie Robinson though,” he laughed to McCain).

His coaches sought him out to model techniques for other defensive backs, and he was active in dapping up other players as they took turns hitting the practice field. Taylor is obviously a well-liked member of the locker room. With McKinstry filling in for Marshon Lattimore after the veteran was sidelined with a hip flexor injury, odds are good that Taylor will continue to play a big role in the Saints defense in 2024.

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Marshon Lattimore leaves with an injury at Day 3 of Saints training camp

Marshon Lattimore left the third day of Saints training camp practice with an injury. This is why they drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry:

Soft-tissue injuries are common early at training camp, but it’s still tough to see a key player sidelined like this. Marshon Lattimore left the third day of New Orleans Saints practices at UC Irvine with an injury. Afterwards head coach Dennis Allen said it was a hip flexor, which is something Lattimore has dealt with before. He suffered a hip flexor injury at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine but it didn’t limit him much once the Saints drafted him.

This is why they drafted Kool-Aid McKinstry despite having both Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor on the roster along with Lattimore. No team has enough cornerbacks, and the Saints are no different. If this does linger then both McKinstry and Taylor will be getting on the field instead of competing with each other to man the slot. McKinstry took Lattimore’s reps on the first team defense with Taylor remaining in the slot at Friday’s practiice.

How much time will Lattimore miss? Allen was short on details, so we can only speculate. Depending on the severity he could be sidelined for a week or up to six weeks. Hopefully it isn’t that severe. Lattimore has missed a full 17-game season’s worth of action over the last two years recovering from freak accident injuries (a lacerated kidney in 2022 and a badly sprained ankle in 2023). It has to be frustrating for the former four-time Pro Bowler. We’ll be sure to monitor his progress.

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Training camp spotlight: Kool-Aid McKinstry vs. Alontae Taylor

There were some parallels between Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor coming out of college. Now, they’ll compete to start in the slot for the Saints:

Though Kool-Aid McKinstry hasn’t played a snap in the NFL, he and Alontae Taylor have a few parallels in their professional journey.

The New Orleans Saints drafted both defensive backs in the second round, and there were similar questions around their immediate future with the team. Paulson Adebo was coming off a strong rookie year next to Marshon Lattimore. There were questions about where Taylor would line up — would he be a cornerback or safety? Injuries led to him starting nine games as a rookie, all outside at corner.

Ironically, Adebo is now coming off another strong year, and the Saints drafted another cornerback. This time it’s McKinstry. When thinking of McKinstry’s impact, eyes tend to focus on 2025. That’s the year it is believed he will be a starting outside corner for the Saints, whether it’s because Adebo or Lattimore moving on next offseason.

Possibly the greatest parallel between McKinstry and Taylor is that they have both been asked to move to the slot without much experience inn that role. Taylor slid inside late last summer after Adebo won the outside cornerback battle. It was his first time playing that position, and he struggled there while playing out of his element. He was benched twice late in 2023.

Saints coach Dennis Allen has said McKinstry will compete on the outside and the inside during training camp. Training him at both positions is great long-term. In the short-term, though, the greater opportunity is on the inside

McKinstry will be playing slot for the first time this year. Will his transition be smoother than Taylor’s was? It feels temporary, but it’s his best route to the field in 2024. To win that spot, he’ll have to go through Taylor.

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Ranking the Saints’ five best offseason additions: No. 5, Kool-Aid McKinstry

Kool-Aid McKinstry projects as a future starting cornerback for the Saints, but he still could make an impact in Year 1:

Marshon Lattimore. Paulson Adebo. Alontae Taylor or Kool-Aid McKinstry. That’s a New Orleans Saints secondary that has the potential to be one of the best in the league.

When the Saints selected McKinstry in the second round of this year’s NFL draft, they made one of their best additions of the offseason. Matter of fact, it was the fifth-best addition of their offseason.

The rookie is the first entry in our rankings of the five best newcomers to the New Orleans Saints. McKinstry’s greatest impact will likely come in 2025 and the future. That future impact was weighed both in his favor and against him.

It works against him because other players on this list should make a greater impact in their first year in black and gold. As of right now, it is unclear if he will be a starter when everyone is healthy.

His fastest route to the field is beating out Taylor as the starting nickel corner. McKinstry is unexperienced playing inside. Taylor was too before last season and went through growing pains. That’ll be one of the most exciting battles to watch in camp, and it could extend throughout the season.

McKinstry’s selection would lead you to believe Lattimore or Adebo could be playing their last season in New Orleans. McKinstry was a talented cornerback coming out of college who was picked with starting aspirations. His ball production slipped in his last season at Alabama but so did his targets. They plummeted from 80 targets to just 39 as a junior, per Pro Football Focus charting.

Feeling like the Saints have a plan for him elevates him into the top-five. He has the potential to be the starting nickel corner in 2024 or a starter on the outside in 2025. That mesh of future potential and present value makes him one of the best additions of the Saints offseason.

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Kool-Aid McKinstry will compete in the slot and out wide for Saints

Kool-Aid McKinstry will compete in the slot and out wide for the Saints, but Dennis Allen doesn’t expect Alontae Taylor to make it easy for him:

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen confirmed what we’ve been suspecting for rookie cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. The Alabama product will compete with his veteran teammates to carve out a role over the summer, whether that means lining up in the slot or out wide.

The Saints’ nickel corner plays a ton of snaps in Allen’s defense. Allen runs more nickel and dime personnel with five or six defensive backs on the field than many teams around the league, and that’s a role he sees McKinstry potentially thriving in despite his limited experience (just 28 of his 2,199 career snaps played at Alabama).

“I see him competing in that spot, along with the outside corner position,” Allen said. “And so, I don’t really see anybody just being a nickel-only. I see that position being a dual-position player. Whether it’s nickel-safety, nickel-corner, we don’t have anybody on our team that’s just a nickel only.”

Allen prefaced this by saying that last year’s nickel, Alontae Taylor, would still be the starter if the Saints had a game this week. He saw Taylor take his lumps just like everyone else — no defensive back allowed more catches and yards from the slot in 2023 — and Allen even benched Taylor twice down the stretch. But he’s willing to give the young player some grace for essentially learning on the job. He’s pleased with Taylor’s confidence level and better understanding of his assignments after taking time to review the tape.

“He’s a talented player. And, look, I would say to be too harsh on him for his performance last year I think would be unfair. You’re talking about a young guy that’s basically playing a position that he hadn’t really played. Those things take a little bit of time to get a feel for. And I think you’ll see an improved player in that area this year,” Allen finished.

The Saints have four starting-quality cornerbacks between Taylor, McKinstry, Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, so this means someone will be coming in off the bench. Last year’s fourth cornerback Isaac Yiadom still played 517 defensive snaps, so whoever that is will still be getting plenty of opportunities to make a play.

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Alontae Taylor ranked top-five among NFL slot corners

Alontae Taylor is already ranked top-five among NFL slot corners at Touchdown Wire, but he has plenty of room to grow:

It was a rough first season in the slot at times for Alontae Taylor, but Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar saw enough to rank the New Orleans Saints defensive back top-five among slot specialists around the NFL.

The Saints asked a lot of Taylor after he lined up out wide almost exclusively in college and his first season in the NFL. Farrar found that Taylor logged more snaps in the slot than almost anyone else in pro football last season, and while he had to take some lumps, the potential is there for him to develop into a top-flight defender.

Here’s why Farrar is so high on the third-year Saint:

The Saints have a nice loaded cornerback room with Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and 2024 second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry. But when it came to slot coverage in 2023, nobody in New Orleans did it better than Alontae Taylor, the 2022 second-round pick from Tennessee. Taylor had 460 slot coverage snaps, fourth-most in the NFL, and he allowed 65 catches on 96 slot targets for 672 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, 10 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 93.8. He also had one sack and three total pressures from the slot.

Why is a player with an opponent passer rating allowed of 93.8 Top 5 on any list? Because while Taylor was out of phase at times, he also showed more than enough reps as a top-tier slot match defender on everything from quick-game routes to deep end zone fades against speed receivers.

Farrar pointed to a couple of highlight reel-worthy plays in coverage from Taylor as proof of his high ceiling, like this interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17:

Still, Farrar acknowledged that Taylor must show more consistency if he’s going to meet that ceiling. He allowed more catches and yards in the slot than anyone else in the NFL last season, and the Saints benched him twice after he struggled to execute his assignments. But the ability is clearly there. Can he build on his experience in 2023? We’ll find out soon enough.

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