If you’ve been paying attention, the Saints are trying to tell us something.
They want another running back.
They’ve been working on this for months, both behind the scenes and in the open.
In free agency, they unsuccessfully tried to sign veteran Sony Michel. After the NFL Draft, they outbid the rest of the league for Baylor running back Abram Smith, one of the Class of 2022’s prize undrafted free agents. Last month, they brought in veteran David Johnson for a tryout, and did the same this week with USFL standout Darius Victor.
No one’s in panic mode here. The Saints still have Alvin Kamara, one of the most dynamic backs in the game, a guy on pace to shatter every rushing record in franchise history. But team officials clearly would like to bolster the position before the start of the regular season. I wouldn’t characterize it as a “must.” But it’s definitely a “want” and easily could escalate to a “need” if Kamara is suspended because of his legal transgression in Las Vegas.
On that front, it seems more and more likely that Kamara will avoid discipline to start the season. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1, but most legal experts don’t expect the case to make it to court until later this season at the earliest. Historically, the league has waited until after the legal process is concluded before meeting out any discipline, so it’s possible that Kamara will be available for the entire 2022 season.
Kamara’s status, however, is far from the only concern.
Veteran backup Mark Ingram will turn 33 in December and is the second oldest running back in the NFL. He missed three games last season because of a knee injury and had minor surgery to clean up the joint during the offseason. His yards-per-carry average has declined from 5.0 to 4.2 to 3.5 the past three seasons, an ominous sign.
Behind Ingram are Tony Jones Jr., Dwayne Washington Devine Ozigbo and Smith, who have rushed for a combined 193 yards the past three seasons.
Now you know why the Saints have worked the phone lines in recent weeks to see if they can orchestrate a trade for another back. So far, nothing has materialized but don’t be surprised if a deal happens later in camp once teams get a better feel for their depth charts.
The Saints have a history of making late summer deals. Over the years, veterans Kiko Alonso, Teddy Bridgewater, Jon Dorenbos, Parys Haralson, Barrett Ruud, David Thomas, Jeremy Shockey, Mark Simoneau and Scott Shanle were acquired either before, during or right after training camp to fortify holes in the roster.
The best Saints teams have always had a strong one-two punch in the backfield. Chuck Muncie and Tony Galbreath. Dalton Hilliard and Rueben Mayes. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles.
Ingram and Kamara were one of those dynamic duos a few years back. The magic the made in 2017-2018, though, was not there in 2021.
The Saints rushed for a paltry 3.7 yards a carry last season, 28th in the league. Kamara’s advanced rushing metrics declined precipitously in his first season without Drew Brees in the lineup and Ingram has only two runs longer than 12 yards in 68 carries. Injuries, especially to the offensive line, contributed to the decline, but regardless, the Saints’ rushing attack needs to improve if they expect to make a playoff run this season. And adding another back as a contingency for Kamara and Ingram would certainly help.
The Bills, Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars, Ravens and Raiders have deep backfields and might be willing to make a deal if their backs stay healthy during camp. Otherwise, the Saints might have to wait until cutdown day Aug. 30 to address the position. But rest assured, the running back position will be front and center for the Saints’ pro personnel department throughout camp.
Sometimes these things work themselves out. A year ago, the Saints were anxious about their cornerback position opposite Marshon Lattimore. They tried to work a trade with a handful of teams before the start of training camp and eventually landed veteran Bradley Roby in early September. Turns out, they were just fine. Unheralded rookie Paulson Adebo played so well Roby never made it into the starting lineup. A year later, cornerback is considered a team strength.
So, who knows? Maybe Jones or Smith will emerge and render this angst all for naught. But I wouldn’t be on it. And neither, it appears, are the Saints.
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