Amid talk about Jordan Elliott on Wednesday at the Tennessee Titans facility, cornerback Alontae Taylor sat down to discuss his unexpected inactive-day listing for Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
Tennessee invested heavily in Taylor and projected him as a full-time outside cornerback in the new system, a role he'd take on for the first extended period of his NFL career. That transition hasn't gone smoothly so far, and it appears the “reset” head coach Robert Saleh talks about may include a return to a nickel role.
Taylor is clearly frustrated by the decision, though he said he wouldn’t change his decision to join the Titans organization and will keep showing up and doing everything he can to get back in the lineup, while hinting at a possible
return to the slot.
Alontae Taylor’s response to being benched last week… pic.twitter.com/UgpF2sGiCd
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“Yeah, I was told that I would come here to play corner. Um, and that’s what my mentality was. Um, but now, um, things are changing, and I’ll just adapt," he said, while also pointing out the scheme is “different than anything I’ve played.”
Yes, the move would frustrate the Tennessee native, who is now playing for the Titans, but in the long term, it could be the best thing for both Taylor and the Titans.
Taylor is a tremendous nickel cornerback, and that role is essential in every NFL defense; those players are hard to find. Time will tell if it was the right decision for Taylor and the organization.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans' Alontae Taylor responds to surprise benching
