Saints, Alvin Kamara should find middle ground on contract negotiations

The idea of Alvin Kamara one day playing for another team became a little more realistic when the running back got in his car and drove off while his Saints teammates took the field for the final minicamp practice Thursday.

The move sent a message. Kamara was willing to show up and fulfill his obligations to the team. But the running back has never been one to go down quickly — whether that's on the field or in negotiations. He showed in 2020 that he was willing to stay off the practice field to get business done, and he is showing it again. Kamara has always said he wants to finish his career with the Saints, but as he drove off on Thursday he was letting everyone know – the team, the organization, the city – that something will have to give to make that happen.

There were rumblings about the Saints and Kamara negotiating a new deal earlier in the offseason, but things haven't moved accordingly since Christian McCaffrey signed an extension in June. Kamara's team didn't respond to attempts to see where things stand.

Where this ends is tough to gauge.

Kamara is going to be 29 next month. Teams don't like to invest in running backs into their 30s, but not every rule fits every situation, and this one might be an exception. Kamara's body has taken on mileage since he entered the league in 2017, just like anyone would. But go watch him run. His leg drive and balance is still there. There were times last year when Kamara was running so hard it looked like he was single-handedly trying to will the team to victory.

Yes, Kamara's numbers did dip to 3.9 yards per carry last year, the lowest total in his career, but much of that feels like it is more due to circumstance than Kamara fading. New Orleans made a change with its offensive staff for a reason, and one of those is that the run game could have and should have been better.

The Saints didn't block well enough. Last season, the Saints averaged 1.0 yards before contact on outside zone plays, with Kamara specifically averaging 1.1. The 49ers averaged 1.8 yards before contact on those plays, with McCaffrey hitting 2.1.

Overall, Kamara averaged 1.4 yards before contact per carry. That number was at 1.3 in 2022 and 0.9 in 2021. When the running back was at his best in 2017 and 2020, those figures came in at 2 and 2.2. A little help goes a long way, and if Kamara is getting into space and first contact is coming from a linebacker or defensive back instead of defensive lineman, it's a safe bet that his broken tackles per attempt rates increase too.

The Saints, obviously, need to go into any negotiations with their eyes open. But there has to be a meeting point. Kamara feels like a safe bet for the next couple of years. There should be a way to take care of him for the next couple of years and set it up so Kamara can end his career here if he's still productive without overextending.

Wouldn't that be a win-win? There has to be something in here that makes sense for everyone. However, the Saints have been working to save money this offseason and seem to be preparing for the future, so perhaps they're willing to role the dice, stay the course and see how things play out. Paying a running back in today's NFL tends to be a luxury, and that could be a place to save money, but given the circumstances and the offense this team wants to run, it would be a risk.

What's worrisome is what happens if this doesn't work out. Kamara's departure on Thursday drew a line in the sand. Pair that with him staying away in 2020, and it looks like he'd be willing to take this into training camp.

That wouldn't be good since Kamara is such a big part of how this team expects to succeed.

New Orleans brought in a new offense built largely on running to set up passing plays. Everything becomes much less effective if there isn't a running back on the field to make it go, and Kamara's skill set seems well-suited for this offense. The Saints did a great job of identifying a system that works to suit this group, and there's a reason that Klint Kubiak met with Kamara early on to talk about his role in this system. He's going to make it go.

All of this might be easier to ignore if there was another running back on the roster who looks ready to challenge Kamara and push him for snaps. Kendre Miller and Jamaal Williams have potential to step into bigger roles on the team, and they still could, but that hasn't yet happened.