Category: Alvin Kamara

83% of NFL experts pick Vikings to beat Saints in London Week 4 matchup

83% of NFL experts are picking against the New Orleans Saints without key weapons on offense, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

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There is not a lot of confidence in the New Orleans Saints as they get set to square off with the Minnesota Vikings in London, England. According to surveying done by NFL Pickwatch, 83% of pro football experts, media outlets, and fan blogs are picking the Vikings to steamroll the Saints across the pond. The 66% deficit is the sixth-largest across all Week 4 NFL games.

It’s understandable why the Saints are being undervalued in this matchup, though. Starting quarterback Jameis Winston is out while dealing with several injuries and backup signal caller Andy Dalton will make his first start for New Orleans. Dalton will be the team’s seventh starting quarterback since the 2019 season.

One of the largest factors when the team has had a backup quarterback in the mix has been wide receiver Michael Thomas. The all-pro wideout caught over 80% of his passes in 2019 with Teddy Bridgewater at signal caller and again in 2020 when Taysom Hill filled in for an injured Drew Brees. Thomas will not be available for Dalton today, and that could pose problems for the Saints offense which has struggled to tie together long drives.

On top of Thomas being out, star running back Alvin Kamara will also be missing from the Saints offense. That means New Orleans will be looking to veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry and 12-year NFL running back Mark Ingram to lead their passing and rushing attacks respectively.

The good news for the Saints? They are 2-0 in regular season matchups here in the United Kingdom and are on a much more restful schedule than Minnesota who did not arrive in London until Thursday. It will be up to a calculated and meticulous offensive approach paired with a dominant defensive showing for the Saints to pull off the upset at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Latest update from Alvin Kamara’s Las Vegas battery case

A Las Vegas battery case for Saints running back Alvin Kamara and several others was delayed yet again, making a 2022 suspension unlikely — but not impossible:

A Las Vegas battery case for New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and three others, including Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chis Lammons, was delayed yet again, making a 2022 suspension unlikely but not impossible for the five-time Pro Bowler.

8 News Now’s David Charns reported from court proceedings in Nevada on Thursday, Sept. 29, where Kamara and the other defendants in the case were not required to attend. The case has been delayed yet again with a dozen lawyers involved in negotiations — both sides will regroup on Nov. 9, two days after Kamara’s Monday night game with the Baltimore Ravens. The Saints have a road game with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 13, so this shouldn’t factor into Kamara’s availability even if he is required to attend the court date.

The more frequently this case is stretched out, the lower chances become for a suspension during the 2022 season. With few exceptions, the NFL’s standard process has been to wait on a legal resolution before handing down disciplinary fines or suspensions. So if this continues to drag out, and it appears that it will, any suspension Kamara may eventually receive could be delayed until 2023. For now, it’s not much to worry about.

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Dennis Allen says Alvin Kamara exited Sunday’s win vs. Falcons with rib injury

Dennis Allen says Alvin Kamara exited Sunday’s win against the Falcons with a rib injury, but ‘I think he’s going to be fine’

The New Orleans Saints got a closer look at their running back depth sooner than expected in Week 1, with star runner Alvin Kamara escorted to the locker room by a member of the training staff late in the fourth quarter. Veteran backup Mark Ingram II stepped in for a couple of possessions to relieve Kamara, including a bizarre direct-snap play on an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt that got snuffed out by the Atlanta Falcons defense. It’s the sort of creative play that we’ve come to expect from Kamara; in his absence, Ingram filled in, but their different skills sets didn’t quite mesh in the situation.

So what was keeping Kamara away? Saints coach Dennis Allen said Monday afternoon that Kamara was “dealing with a little bit of a rib” issue after exiting Sunday’s win against the Falcons in the closing minutes, though he added that “I think he’s going to be fine.”

Kamara did tell NewOrleans.Footbll’s Nick Underhill in the locker room postgame that he’s “good” despite the injury, so it sounds like this isn’t anything serious. We’ll know for sure once the first Saints injury report is published this week on Wednesday, which will give us an idea of Kamara’s participation level in practice. Before leaving the game, Kamara racked up 39 rushing yards on 9 carries (4.3 yards per attempt) and 7 receiving yards on 3 receptions (4 targets), totaling 46 scrimmage yards and two first down conversions on a dozen touches.

As for the current state of the depth chart: Kamara is backed up by Ingram and Tony Jones Jr., with veteran special teams ace Dwayne Washington also in the mix. Washington didn’t practice last week or suit up for the Falcons game due to a hamstring injury so it’s unclear what his availability looks like in the immediate future. Everything the Saints have said publicly suggests Kamara will be ready for his usual workload in Week 2’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but this is certainly a storyline to watch in the days ahead.

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Report: ‘More and more unlikely’ Alvin Kamara will be suspended in 2022

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that it’s ‘more and more unlikely’ Alvin Kamara will be suspended in 2022, with his latest court date delayed until after the season starts:

What’s the latest on Alvin Kamara? The New Orleans Saints running back hasn’t appeared in court since his arrest in Las Vegas early this year, having been charged with beating a man outside a nightclub. His legal representation won another delay in hearings back on Aug. 1, setting his next court date for Sept. 29 — days before kickoff with the Minnesota Vikings in London, when Kamara will presumably be overseas.

The NFL won’t issue any discipline until the legal process plays out, and it’s unlikely a resolution will be reached at this Sept. 29 meeting that would prompt the league to hand down a suspension. If things keep moving two months at a time, odds are Kamara’s won’t see anything from the league office during this season. That’s what ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday during an appearance on ESPN Fantasy Field Pass.

“I think the league is going to be looking into this, but it is going to be a while, it seems, before this legal case is settled,” Schefter said. “There’s a real chance that the status of that case is not going to effect his availability this season. … But in terms of this season, it looks more and more unlikely that it’s going to be this season as attorneys keep pushing out the case, it keeps being pushed back. And by the time there is resolution to it, the season may well be underway, and Alvin Kamara may be on the field for the majority if not all of this season.”

As Schefter suggested, the league will eventually conduct its own investigation, and Kamara is expected to miss six games due to the violent nature of the accusations. But it would be surprising to see him suspended during the 2022 season given how slowly legal proceedings are carrying out. Things could change unexpectedly, but it’s looking like this situation will continue to drag on into 2023. Stay tuned for updates.

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Alvin Kamara’s Las Vegas battery case delayed another two months

Alvin Kamara’s Las Vegas battery case has been delayed another two months, putting doubts on a possible suspension during the 2022 season:

Alvin Kamara was busy practicing at New Orleans Saints training camp on Monday while attorneys representing him and three other defendants were asking for a 60-day delay in Las Vegas court, stemming from his arrest at the Pro Bowl early this year. 8 News Now’s David Charns reported the delay from Las Vegas.

It’s the third time the case has been pushed back — Kamara’s first court date occurred back in February, and was moved to April. At that point the defense requested more time to review their case, delaying it until August.

With this request granted, Kamara’s next court date will be scheduled for either late September or early October — well past the start of the 2022 regular season either way. The NFL won’t hand down any discipline until after the legal process is resolved, so if he does serve a suspension (and that isn’t guaranteed) it’s unlikely to happen this year. There’s a good chance this drags on further into 2023. That’s the case for his teammate Marcus Maye, who is waiting on a resolution to his Feb. 2021 DUI arrest in Florida.

So that’s good for the Saints in the short term. They’ll have one of their best players leading the team when they kick off with the Atlanta Falcons in a month, and for a tough opening stretch featuring several divisional rivalry games. The bad news is that they may have a tough choice late in the season should Kamara’s case wrap up in, say, December with the NFL issuing a multi-game suspension. Would it be better to serve the punishment with his team in the playoffs hunt or wait and hit the bench to start 2023? Thankfully that’s a question for another day, and if things go his way Kamara won’t have to ponder it at all.

Still, it’s a mess that could have been avoided by not putting paws on someone in the first place. Let’s hope he’s learned his lesson and will avoid situations like this in the future.

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Saints training camp takeaways, Day 5: Paulson Adebo continues to shine

Defense dominates throughout the Saints’ first padded practice with Paulson Adebo continuing to stand out. Training camp notes via @RossJacksonNOLA:

The pads went on for the first time on Day 5 of New Orleans Saints training camp. The clattering and cracking of contact filled the practice field with fans in attendance on Monday. The ability to evaluate the offensive and defensive lines took a step forward today, but it was the secondary finding ways to shine yet again. Here are our observations from the fifth day of Saints camp.

Top-10 RB Alvin Kamara closing in on Saints’ all-time touchdowns record

Alvin Kamara voted #5 running back by players, coaches, and execs, but will soon be #1 on Saints’ all-time touchdown list, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Marques Colston played his last NFL game in 2015, ending an iconic 10-year run with the New Orleans Saints. Since then, he has reigned as the Saints’ touchdown leader (and the best NFL player to never make a Pro Bowl) with 72 career touchdown receptions. Now, after only five seasons, former Offensive Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara is only 5 all-purpose touchdowns away from taking the crown as the all-time touchdown leader in New Orleans.

With 68 touchdowns scored as a runner, receiver, and even as a kick returner, Kamara is averaging nearly a touchdown every game of his career with only 73 regular season games played. That is exactly half as many games as Colston played throughout his career (146). Kamara is very good at football.

His talent is not limited to local recognition and franchise records, though. Players, coaches, and executives across the NFL were polled by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler to create top-10 lists for different position groups, and Kamara clocked in at No. 5 among the running backs. The praise for Kamara unsurprisingly centers around his versatility, uncanny balance ability and the general difficulty that comes with game-planning against him. Here’s what Fowler heard about Kamara from around the league:

“You can put a really good safety on him, and he’ll still come back to the sideline and say, ‘Uh, we’ve got a problem,'” a veteran AFC coach said.

“Two-phase, three-down back. Contact balance is rare. What he does in the passing game separates him,” an NFC exec said. But after four straight seasons of 80 or more catches, Kamara slipped to 47 catches last year.

“He’s a nightmare for us,” a high-ranking NFL personnel evaluator said. “Not having Brees getting him the ball in the short area like he used to, behind a great offensive line all those years, has affected him a bit. And he’ll probably lose a step eventually. But there are a lot of top backs we’d rather face than him.”

Questions about Kamara’s availability will be plentiful this offseason. He awaits a court hearing in August connected an offseason arrest following an alleged altercation while at the Pro Bowl. He is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable players on the roster in New Orleans. They stand to potentially compete without him for at least six games. But if that is the case he’ll have his impact in both the run and passing game. Fielding a top-5 NFL running back for 11 games will still benefit the Saints as they look to get back to the playoffs in 2022.

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Bleacher Report proposes Saints trade for Raiders RB Kenyan Drake

With Alvin Kamara facing a potential suspension, the Saints could turn to the trade market. One outlet believes Kenyan Drake should be the target, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Star running back Alvin Kamara could be facing a suspension at some point in the 2022 NFL season. The New Orleans Saints may receive more clarity around the situation in August, when Kamara’s court hearing is currently expected to take place after being postponed twice since the incident took place in February. Until then, the team may continue to search for ways to make a potential 6-game span without Kamara survivable. So far, they’ve brought in veteran backs Sony Michel and David Johnson for visits, though no deal materialized in either case.

The Saints are not limited to the open market, however. That’s the route Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report went when he listed one trade each team should make before training camp starts. In his proposal, the Saints would send a 2023 fifth-round selection to the Las Vegas Raiders for versatile back Kenyan Drake. Here’s what Wharton wrote:

“Trading Drake would save $2.75 million against a $1.1 million dead-cap hit, which is a much better option than cutting the veteran.

New Orleans stands out as an excellent landing spot. With Alvin Kamara’s future uncertain after he was arrested and charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm in February, the Saints could use a versatile pass-catching back with explosiveness. They’ve worked out David Johnson recently, but Drake is a much better option in comparison.”

Drake would certainly be a fit in the Saints offense. He’s averaged a respectable 4.5 yards per carry in his 89-game career, though that average fell off a bit (to 4.0 yards per attempt) running behind some mediocre offensive lines the last two years with Las Vegas and Arizona. He’s also caught 199 passes for 1,535 yards (an average of 7.7 yards per reception), totaling 4,919 yards from scrimmage and 36 combined touchdowns as a runner and receiver (29 on the ground, 7 through the air). But he’s been at his best on a limited workload, much like Kamara.

And it’s likely the Saints would not be looking for a “bell cow” style back to take 80% or more of the offensive snaps. But instead, someone that can impact the game on 20% to 40% of a game’s snaps in rotation with some combination of the running backs on New Orleans’ current depth chart. That includes Mark Ingram II, Tony Jones Jr., Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, and undrafted rookie Abram Smith. Adding Drake to the competition ahead of camp in exchange for a Day 3 draft selection could be a move worth making.

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Projecting the Saints’ starting offense before training camp

Some key additions for the New Orleans Saints bring up a new-look offense in 2022, with several new starters projected in the lineup, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

As organized team activities (OTAs) begin around the NFL, important roster battles get started, injured players show their progress, and rookies look to establish themselves. There’s no exception for the New Orleans Saints as the team reports to the facility on Airline Drive. Many of the new additions and standout rookies will be on the offensive side of the ball thanks to the offseason additions of rookie wideout Chris Olave, fellow first-round selection tackle Trevor Penning, and veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

From now through OTAs and the upcoming mandatory minicamp events the Saints offensive roster will look to shake out. Training camp will bring not only a clearer look at the 2022 depth chart, but will certainly provide it’s own intrigue as starters get solidified. Here’s a look at the projected starting Saints offense ahead of training camp and the preseason:

Alvin Kamara restructures his contract, gets the Saints closer to salary cap compliance

The Saints restructured their contract with Alvin Kamara, helping them get closer to salary cap compliance ahead of free agency, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Starting the offseason $76 million over the NFL’s salary cap would be stressful for any team but the New Orleans Saints. Throughout the last two weeks, the Saints have restructured several contracts in order to work their way to salary cap compliance, and the work continued this morning. According to reports, the Saints have opened up another $8.372 million by restructuring running back Alvin Kamara’s contract.

In doing so, New Orleans converted his $6 million roster bonus and $4.465 million of his base salary (which is now at the veteran minimum: $1.035 million) into a signing bonus and adding a void year in 2026. This move drops Kamara’s $14.5 million cap hit to just $6.128 million.

Doing this will also ensure that Kamara sees the majority of his year’s pay up front even in the case of a potential suspension. In that way, this could be seen as both a player and team-friendly move. Kamara was arrested in Las Vegas last month following an alleged altercation. The court hearing for his Las Vegas battery case has been pushed back to April 25.

The Saints should now be hovering between $20 to $25 million over the cap now with some hefty restructures left in their pockets. The Saints could save over $18 million by restructuring Marshon Lattimore’s contract and up to $7 million with a restructure to Taysom Hill’s deal. After that, any additional moves such as a potential extension or release of cornerback Bradley Roby, would begin to open up spending money beyond cap compliance.

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