Tag: slot

Will Mike Tomlin choose loyalty over Beanie Bishop Jr. in Week 10?

Mike Tomlin has mishandled Steelers’ positional battles in the past. Could Beanie Bishop Jr. and Cameron Sutton’s situation may be next?

Pittsburgh is currently facing another positional battle, which is typically a good problem to have. However, CB Beanie Bishop Jr.’s selection as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month in October, along with his overall performance in 2024, has muddied the waters surrounding CB Cameron Sutton’s inevitable return. 

Bishop took the high road, stating that he is not only unfazed by potentially losing playing time to the veteran CB but is also excited for Sutton to rejoin the team. 

Tomlin, however, enjoys letting these positional battles unfold before making quick decisions. As seen with Roman Wilson’s usage prior to his hamstring injury, Tomlin may choose players he trusts, or those to whom he is loyal, over quality play. 

In Week 10, is Sutton the next player to ‘earn’ starting responsibilities over a younger, more dynamic player? Only time will tell, but it will be interesting to see how this positional battle unfolds before the Black and Gold faithful’s eyes. 

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Steelers’ CB Beanie Bishop Jr. named Defensive Rookie of the Month

Steelers’ CB Beanie Bishop Jr. has become one of the team’s best 2024 acquisitions so far, and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month.

K Chris Boswell isn’t the only Steelers player to earn recognition for his performance in the month of October. Rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr., who seems to improve each week, has been named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for his outstanding play in October. 

Bishop turned heads in Week 7 when he intercepted four-time MVP QB Aaron Rodgers not once, but twice. In Week 8, the rookie intercepted QB Daniel Jones, sealing the victory for his team. The young slot cornerback has admirably filled what appeared to be an area of concern for the Steelers heading into the 2024 season. 

With veteran CB Cameron Sutton, whose natural position is also in the slot, returning from suspension in Week 10, no one can truly justify benching Bishop after the rookie’s dominant performance in October.  Fans of the Steel City are more than excited to see what the future holds for the undrafted rookie.

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Alontae Taylor on constantly shifting roles: ‘I’m used to it’

Injuries may push Alontae Taylor to strictly lining up outside this week. But changing roles isn’t anything new for the Saints’ slot corner:

Injuries to New Orleans Saints cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Kool-Aid McKinstry may keep Alontae Taylor from playing any snaps in the slot on Sunday.

After Paulson Adebo’s season-ending injury, Dennis Allen moved Taylor outside in his base defense. When the New Orleans Saints were in nickel formation, McKinstry played outside and Taylor went back inside.

But McKinstry was downgraded to a DNP on Thursday, and Lattimore hasn’t practiced all week. Both are dealing with hamstring injuries, and it doesn’t seem like either is trending towards playing against the Carolina Panthers.

Current plans seem like safety Ugo Amadi will play the nickel, which he did last week. This is another shift for Taylor. He started the year at solely nickel corner, then he played both inside and outside last week and it appears he’ll strictly be a boundary corner this Sunday.

Moving around is nothing new, and Taylor said, “At this point I guess I’m used to it.”

It helps that Taylor is going to his natural position. He maintains that he is a cornerback who has gotten comfortable playing the nickel. The comfortability outside means no acclimation period. Even if it’s just Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers, it’s still another NFL team, and Taylor knows he can’t take them lightly.

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Steelers’ CB officially reinstated after 8-game suspension

Steelers’ CB Cameron Sutton has officially been reinstated after serving an 8-game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy.

Some much needed assistance to an already impressive Steelers’ secondary has arrived.  CB Cameron Sutton, who rejoined the Pittsburgh Steelers back in June 5th, 2024, has been officially reinstated after serving an eight-game suspension to start the season.

Sutton’s suspension was a result of violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. His play for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2016 to 2022 was immaculate, to say the least.  He would ultimately price himself out of the Steel City, signing with the Detroit Lions in the 2023 offseason. The Lions had initially released Sutton as a result of his violation, and Steelers gave their former CB a second-chance to play in the league again.

How will Sutton’s return impact the already great Steelers’ 2024 defense?  Given how amazing rookie slot corner Beanie Bishop Jr. has been to start the season, how will HC Mike Tomlin handle starting responsibilities?  Sutton’s natural position lies in the slot, and this could present another positional battle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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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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Ennis Rakestraw starts out in the slot CB role at Lions rookie minicamp

Second-round CB Ennis Rakestraw starts out in the slot role at Lions rookie minicamp

Lions second-round rookie Ennis Rakestraw was an outside cornerback for nearly all of his college career at Missouri. In his first practice in Detroit, however, the lanky Rakestraw spent the day in the slot role.

Instead of pairing with Terrion Arnold on the outside to give the Lions a 1-2 draft duo on the outside, Rakestraw was inside in the initial practice. Camp invitee Harrison Hand, a three-year vet, ran with the first team with Arnold on the outside.

After practice, Rakestraw seemed unfazed by playing inside. He noted he played in the slot in his freshman year at Missouri. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounds (as listed by the Lions, perhaps generously) Rakestraw showed the quick feet and change-of-direction skills necessary to thrive in the slot.

It’s also worth noting defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has cross-trained defensive backs at multiple positions throughout his tenure in Detroit. Rakestraw projects as a reserve CB in his rookie season, so being able to fill in at multiple spots makes him even more valuable.

Rakestraw was pulled early from drills by the training staff, a planned precaution. The rookie is coming off core muscle surgery following the conclusion of Missouri’s college season, and his recovery limited his pre-draft workout ability.

Rakestraw did not appear to be limited or inhibited while doing drills, but the Lions are clearly playing this one carefully.

“That’s just the plan they already had set for me,” Rakestraw said after practice. “I was trying to go, but they was like, ‘Nah, you trying to exceed your reps we already had for you.’ But what I got to do a great job of is sticking to the plan. They’ve been here, they’ve got a ton of experience and just keep it like that.”

Alontae Taylor says he won’t be replacing Marcus Maye at safety

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor moved to the slot in 2023, but says he won’t be replacing Marcus Maye at safety in 2024:

The New Orleans Saints secondary will look different this season with the team intending on releasing starting free safety Marcus Maye when free agency begins in a few weeks. Could another position switch be on the way for cornerback Alontae Taylor, who moved to the slot for the first time in 2023?

Don’t bet on it. Taylor shot down the idea of learning another new position in 2024 in response to fans on social media, who were discussing the notion of playing him at free safety in the wake of Maye’s departure. Whether he primarily covers the slot or moves back outside, he wants to be listed at cornerback.

While the Saints do have an intriguing internal candidate to replace Maye in second-year pro Jordan Howden, they’re going to need more players in the group with Johnathan Abram, Lonnie Johnson, and Ugo Amadi all headed for free agency. And we can’t ignore that Abram finished the season ahead of Howden on the depth chart. He may not be as ready for a full-time starting role as we think.

But as for Taylor: hopefully this experiment in the slot was just a one-year plan. No player was targeted more often or gave up more catches and yards than he did when guarding the slot last season, and he allowed the second-most touchdown passes in the league in that role. He’s a dynamic player on the outside, where he’s played since high school, but he was miscast in the interior over the slot. One benefit to the Saints possibly trading Marshon Lattimore this summer is that it would open a path to keep Taylor in the starting lineup where he’s played his best football.

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Dennis Allen is doing Alontae Taylor a disservice with failed slot experiment

Alontae Taylor has allowed more catches and yards from the slot than anyone else in the NFL. Dennis Allen deserves some blame for not better preparing him for a new position:

Did you notice that Alontae Taylor was benched last week against the Los Angeles Rams? It was gnarly. The New Orleans Saints’ second-year cornerback was torched in coverage and beaten badly with the Rams’ pre-snap motion on some big gains on the ground, prompting head coach Dennis Allen to bench him. Veteran safety Ugo Amadi, who played ahead of Taylor on the depth chart all summer, finished the game in his place.

Everyone got their licks in. Per Pro Football Focus charting, pass-catching Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (3 receptions for 30 yards), slot receiver Cooper Kupp (2 receptions for 19 yards, both first downs), and rookie receiver Puka Nacua (1 catch for 41 yards) each made plays with Taylor in coverage before Allen pulled him from the game.

And Taylor wasn’t happy; team leaders like Tyrann Mathieu had to cool him down on the sideline, and he’s doing the best he can to learn from the experience, telling NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett that he’ll return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But his first year playing the slot has been full of tough learning experiences. When covering the slot, Taylor leads the NFL in targets (90), receptions (60), and yards allowed (549). He’s charged with yielding four touchdown catches, which is tied for third-most. No other player has drawn more than 65 targets or given up more yards.

He’s visibly struggling in the transition. And Allen has to shoulder much of the blame here. As a former defensive backs coach who spends a lot of hands-on time with the secondary, he hasn’t done a good enough job preparing Taylor for this job.

Taylor didn’t get enough quality reps in over the summer to be thrust into the position; he was consistently playing behind Bradley Roby and Amadi on the third-string defense through minicamp, training camp, and preseason before Roby was a surprise roster cut in August, which sent Taylor rocketing to the top of the depth chart before he was ready for it. Rookie cornerback Adrian Frye, who wasn’t brought back after roster cuts, played twice as many snaps in the slot (42) as Taylor did (21) across three preseason games.

He just hasn’t had the reps. Look at the number of snaps Taylor has played in the slot in college at Tennessee and in the NFL with the Saints:

  • 2018 (college): 2
  • 2019 (college): 21
  • 2020 (college): 6
  • 2021 (college): 15
  • 2022 preseason: 0
  • 2022 regular season: 22
  • 2023 preseason: 21
  • 2023 regular season: 666

It’s easy to understand why Allen wanted Taylor in this role. He’s getting one of his most energetic and athletic defenders on the field by any means necessary. Taylor couldn’t dislodge Paulson Adebo from the outside corner spot in camp, opposite Marshon Lattimore, leaving only the slot for him when everyone is healthy. And Isaac Yiadom has played so well in Lattimore’s place that it’s debatable whether Taylor would be an upgrade there.

But it’s hard enough to pick up the pro game and adjust to the speed of your competition in your second year in the league in any circumstances. Doing so while picking up a totally new position is exceedingly difficult. That the Saints didn’t adequately prepare Taylor for the challenges in front of him is an outright disservice to the player. There are just two games left in the regular season. It’s possible Taylor could spend his offseason reviewing the tape and putting all of his time and effort into fully learning his new position. But as has often been the case with Allen running this team, that’s coming a day late and leaving the Saints a dollar short.

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The ceiling is high for second-year Saints CB Alontae Taylor in the slot

Alontae Taylor is focusing strictly on being a slot corner. It may take time to reach it, but his dedication and athletic profile creates a high ceiling at the position | @southexclusives

Bradley Roby was the most surprising cut when the New Orleans Saints trimmed their roster down to 53 players this week, but it wasn’t a move the team made without reason. The move meant Alontae Taylor was moving into the slot. This is a move many thought he could make when picked in the 2022 NFL draft. He spent the offseason splitting time between the slot and battling with Paulson Adebo for starting outside at cornerback, where he played very well as a rookie.

That’s the biggest reason the ceiling is still high for Taylor. His athleticism lends itself to being able to play in the slot and now he can focus on it. The preseason was a bit shaky for him, but it’s important to note he was learning a new position. He was never able to fully dedicate himself to it. Now that playing outside is off the table, Taylor’s development on the inside can be more rapid.

Tyrann Mathieu was once one of the best slot corners in the NFL. He’s now a safety for the Saints and a valuable resource for Taylor. Taylor said he’s leaning on Mathieu to help learn the position. Entering in second season in the league, he provides the willingness to tackle that is reminiscent of past players at the position. Taylor has the potential to combine the aggression in the run game and coverage skill in a way we’ve never seen in the slot in New Orleans.

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Will Chris Godwin play on the outside more in 2023?

Chris Godwin played 66% of his snaps in the slot last year. Where will he line up next season?

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WR [autotag]Chris Godwin[/autotag] is back to full strength and ready to produce in 2023. But where will he be lining up among his fellow receivers?

Ever since he came into the league, Godwin has lined up in the slot more and more often each year. He was featured there on only 14% of his snaps in his rookie year in 2017, according to PFF, and that number has increased every season — he lined up in the slot 57% of his snaps in 2020, 61% of his snaps in 2021 and 66% of his snaps in 2022.

Now, though, with Russell Gage as WR3 and not a whole lot of depth behind him and Mike Evans, it could be possible that Godwin sees more action on the outside, more akin to how he was used when he first got to Tampa Bay. This could also help him avoid injury, too, since wideouts in the slot are more susceptible to getting hit down the middle of the field.

When coach Todd Bowles was asked if playing on the outside more could preserve Godwin, he didn’t want to give up whether or not he would be moving more outside next season:

“I don’t know if it preserves him. Everybody knows he’s a great player, so when they see ’14’ out there, there’s going to be attention directed towards him – whether he’s in the boundary to the field, in the slot, or outside because he’s that good of a football player. He takes care of his body. Obviously, he came back from the injury in great shape. I think they’re going to continue to key him but obviously the good players get paid attention to. He continues to make plays, so we’re looking for him to continue to make plays.”

Godwin’s most productive season came in 2019, where he played 55% of his snaps in the slot. He caught nine touchdowns that year with 1,333 yards on 86 receptions.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

That being said, he caught seven touchdowns in 2018, tied for his second-most in a season, playing just 30% of his snaps in the slot. He’s proven that he can be a weapon on the outside, and the team may just look to move him out there again when its new-look offense takes the field in 2023.

With Russell Gage returning for another year and the selection of Trey Palmer in the 2023 NFL draft, the Bucs have options for next season. With Godwin back from injury and some younger receivers coming in for depth, it’s very possible that Chris Godwin will be bumped toward the sideline more than he has been in four years when the regular season begins.