The New Orleans Saints chose not to trade Alontae Taylor at the trade deadline, and that's a trade they're going to regret this offseason. He was a hot topic in hypothetical trade discussions by fans. Those discussions weren't so hypothetical either. Reports had the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears interested in the defensive back. Ultimately, the Saints didn't move on from him.
This is going to be something the Saints look back and question this offseason, because Taylor is set up to leave in free agency. He's on the last year of his deal, and that was the Saints last chance to get compensation for him.
Both the Bears and Colts were serious about their pursuit in a defensive back. The Colts went and traded for Sauce Gardner, while the Bears picked up C.J. Gardner-Johnson from free agency. It's easy to say both teams are happy about their acquisition.
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.