New Orleans Saints training camp is almost upon us, with the team’s rookie players reporting for their first day of work on Tuesday. Veteran teammates will join them next week, and the first real Saints training camp practice session will soon follow, with nine dates open for fans to pack the sidelines and take it all in.
But there’s one bit of housekeeping left to attend to: officially signing second-round rookie Alontae Taylor to his first NFL contract. Taylor is the only Saints draft pick to not yet sign his standard four-year rookie deal, with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reporting back in June that there’s been a holdup in negotiations — either in offset language (determining how much the Saints are liable to pay should Taylor be cut and join a new team) and the amount of guaranteed money, specifically in base salaries for future seasons.
That’s not too surprising. Most first-round picks receive a fully-guaranteed four years, and most players picked early in round two get the first three years guaranteed. Taylor, who was selected right in the middle of round two at pick No. 49, happened to fall at an inflection point between players who get some of their third-year salary (the 2024 season) guaranteed, and those who don’t receive any guarantees past their second season (in 2023).
