The flurry of moves ahead of the start of the 2020 NFL season aren’t letting up any time soon. There are roster cuts, there are player extensions, contract restructures and possibly even more player trades. One player reported to be possibly available via trade is New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara — who is currently holding out of training camp in his effort to secure a new contract. Kamara, who was drafted in the 3rd-round of the 2017 NFL Draft, has been one of the better value players in all of football. In New Orleans’ high flying offense, Kamara has been a dual threat weapon offensively who has become one of the league’s most versatile running backs.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are still exploring their bid to improve their ground attack. The Dolphins added running backs Jordan Howard and Matt Breida this offseason — but Kamara would bring a totally different dynamic to the offense. Should Miami look to make a deal for Kamara, who is looking to become one of the highest paid running backs in football?
That’s a tough sell. Yes, having Kamara’s pass catching and rushing skills on the field would be an amazing upgrade for the Dolphins. But at what cost? Miami would have to offer up a premiere pick and then subsequently hand out a contract that pays out potentially in excess of $12M per season to appease Kamara’s desire to secure a new deal.
That is quite a high cost to pay for a running back, especially when the Dolphins balked at the chance of pursuing veteran RB Melvin Gordon for high cost and also passed on drafting any of the top running backs available in the 2020 NFL Draft. It seems as though the Dolphins are looking to take a more economic route with their backfield — and Kamara is going to be anything but economic. So while yes, there’s potential here for a strong fit from a personnel perspective and Miami needs more playmakers on the offense, Kamara’s blend of costs from both a trade value and a contract perspective make this a difficult proposition to see through for the Dolphins.