Entering Week 8, I tabbed CB Alontae Taylor as the next guy that the Tennessee Titans would trade. His pending move to nickel appeared clouded by fellow defender Marcus Harris, and Taylor's inability to make an impact on the outside seemed to make him an outlier.
Taylor's performance against the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday completely quieted that notion, at least for now. Not only did Harris unfortunately exit the contest with an ankle injury, but in his wake at nickel, Taylor played his best game of the season for Tennessee.
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On top of forcing a pivotal fumble in the second half, Taylor finished second
on the team in QB pressures, with five. The only player ahead of him was DE Jacob Martin (6), who had three sacks by himself. That's elite company, especially for a corner.
Taylor would finish the contest with five total tackles. All 47 of his snaps came at nickel.
Harris' status is unclear, but regardless of how that situation pans out, Taylor more than made the case
for his process to be trusted in Robert Saleh's defense.
He's facing the perfect storm to work his way back into a primary role, and Tennessee should be thrilled to take him off of potential trade boards.
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Titans should be thrilled with Taylor's sudden progress
After all, spending $58 million on a free agent only to bench him in Week 6 isn't something you can push under the rug. It appears that one of Tennessee's premier offseason pickups is beginning to make good on the investment that was made for him.
Taken with CB Cor'Dale Flott's own stready improvement over the past few weeks, the new faces Tennessee paid to lay down as the basis of Saleh's defense are beginning to fully look the part. Trading away Jeffery Simmons guaranteed that the defense would need a rest of some kind, but the fewer long-term assets the Titans have to move, the better.
Taylor quieting some of the noise around his play in Week 8 opens the door for more obvious moves for the Titans at the deadline. Tony Pollard, in the last year of his contract, may have played his way into some solid draft capital in the last few games.
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Elsewhere on defense, S Amani Hooker and DE Jacob Martin are alluring veteran candidates
whose value peaked with their own team-leading performances vs. the Bengals. Nothing has to be forced. If Taylor keeps climbing, he'll be just what Tennessee expected him to be entering this year.
That is, a starting, playmaking contributor at the center of a rebuild that's looking better by the game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/titans/onsi as How Alontae Taylor Bought Himself Time With Titans After Comeback Showing in Week 8
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