Saints' corner Alontae Taylor declares himself the premier free agent. His versatility and playmaking prowess could command top dollar.
Quality cornerbacks are confident. New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor is no different.
The talented Saints player believes in his ability to make plays. That alongside New Orleans' difficult salary cap situation is going to make it difficult to re-sign the highly regarded now free agent.
Taylor was asked how he was approaching the start of free agency and what he brings as a player. He said the following on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
"I'm one of the best free-agent players coming out. I definitely feel like I'm the best free-agent corner coming out. Just that versatility, man. Being able to play inside, play outside, and be able to help any team at whatever they need. Feeling like I could possibly be that CB1 for a team, and if I ever have to go into the slot to guard your best receiver who you move into the slot, I've shown that I can go in there and play comfortably. I feel like I bring a lot of attributes to the table. Like I said before, I do feel like I'm one of those best guys available, and I feel like a lot of teams out there feel the same way."
Taylor makes some bold claims, but they may not come with any push back. He is easily one of the top players in the National Football League at his position. The playmaking is evident and there are probably several more years of good football left in his early NFL career.
Bobby Kownack of NFL.com notes that in four seasons Taylor has 293 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four interceptions and three forced fumbles in 64 games played. Undoubtedly, the Saints would be losing a lot from his departure after he became a critical part of New Orleans' stingy defense.
It will be interesting to see where Taylor ends up in 2026. The Saints are actively working to restructure contracts and create cap space to make room on their roster next season. Whether or not the team can do enough to bring Taylor back is debatable, but it certainly seems unlikely.
Taylor is a great player, but given what type of contract he will command New Orleans may need to target a less costly free agent option this offseason. They will look to fortify an already strong defense as they push to win the NFC South division in 2026.