Tag: suspended

Saints rushing attack may struggle in Week 1 with or without Alvin Kamara

The Saints rushing attack may struggle in Week 1 with or without Alvin Kamara. Tennessee is returning one of the league’s best run defenses:

The Tennessee Titans didn’t have a very successful season last year, but one thing they could hang their hats on was their run defense. And that element could be a serious issue for the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 — with or without Alvin Kamara, who has been suspended for their first three games.

Just three teams allowed fewer rushing first downs than the Titans (93) last year. Tennessee tied the Dallas Cowboys for the third-fewest touchdown runs (9). No team yielded fewer yards per carry (3.35) or yards per game (76.9). Head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen have ensured they’re a well-coached unit in rallying to the ball and clogging running lanes.

The front seven’s only starter not returning from 2022 is linebacker David Long Jr., but his replacement Azeez Al-Shaair is known as a solid run defender in his own right. They still have Jeffery Simmons, Teair Tart, Denico Autry, and Rashad Weaver along the defensive line while signing Arden Key to rotate in with Harold Landry III as he continues to recover from a torn ACL.

So it’s going to be vital for the Saints to win the line of scrimmage, especially if they’re looking to run the ball as heavily as they were a year ago. That’s not likely with Derek Carr at quarterback, but the vision for the offense remains the same: keep pressure off of him by running well. If Trevor Penning, James Hurst, Andrus Peat, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, and Ryan Ramczyk aren’t winning at the line of scrimmage, it won’t matter if it’s Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller, or Taysom Hill carrying the ball. This is going to be a big test right out of the gates for a Saints offense hoping to start the year strong in September.

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Alvin Kamara suspension: How Jamaal Williams fared vs. Saints schedule

How Jamaal Williams has fared versus the teams the New Orleans Saints will face without star running back Alvin Kamara:

The New Orleans Saints will be without star running back Alvin Kamara for the first three games of their 2023 season, but they planned for his absence by investing in the depth behind him. First came splashy free agent signing Jamaal Williams. Then they picked TCU standout Kendre Miller in the third round of the NFL draft.

Miller has generated a lot of excitement at training camp, but he’s still waiting to log his first rushing attempt as a pro. But how has Williams performed before against the three teams the Saints will play without Kamara? Let’s dig in:

Packers won’t face Saints RB Alvin Kamara in Week 3 due to 3-game suspension

Saints RB Alvin Kamara, who has 395 total yards in three games against the Packers, will be suspended for the Week 3 showdown between the Saints and Packers.

Alvin Kamara has 395 total yards and three touchdowns in three career games against the Green Bay Packers, but the New Orleans Saints running back won’t be available for Dennis Allen’s team when the Saints come to Lambeau Field for the Packers’ home opener in Week 3.

On Friday, the NFL suspended Kamara for three games to start the 2023 season due to violations of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, will miss games against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, Carolina Panthers in Week 2 and Packers in Week 3.

At his best, Kamara is a menacing dual-threat player who can create big plays as a runner and receiver. In each of his three career games against the Packers, Kamara has produced either 100 total yards or scored a touchdown.

What does Kamara’s suspension mean for the Saints at running back come Week 3? Former Packers running back Jamaal Williams, who signed with the Saints after leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season, will likely be the featured back when New Orleans arrives at Lambeau Field in late September.

Kamara vs. GB Rushing yards Rec yards Total yards TDs
2017, Week 7 57 50 107 0
2020, Week 3 58 139 197 2
2021, Week 1 83 8 91 1
Three games 198 197 395 3

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Chiefs DL Charles Omenihu suspended six games

#Chiefs defensive lineman Charles Omenihu has been suspended for six games after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without defensive lineman Charles Omenihu for the first six games of their 2023 campaign after he was suspended by the NFL for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Omenihu signed with Kansas City as a free agent in March and was slated to be a key contributor to the Chiefs’ defense as the team looks to defend their newly won Super Bowl LVII title.

NFL.com’s national insider Ian Rapoport reported the news of Omenihu’s suspension on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

Omenihu is still eligible to participate in Kansas City’s three preseason games and training camp practices as the Chiefs gear up for the new season but will be unavailable in the weeks following the regular season kicks off.

His loss is a crushing blow for the team, which is currently dealing with a holdout by veteran pass rusher Chris Jones, who is using his absence from training camp as leverage in negotiations for a contract extension.

It is unclear if Kansas City has any contingency plans to fill the void left by Omenihu in their starting lineup for the regular season. Fans should expect rookie Keondre Coburn and veterans Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Nnadi to be fixtures of the Chiefs’ front four early in the team’s coming campaign, especially if Jones’ holdout continues through the end of August.

Here’s how much salary Alvin Kamara will lose while serving NFL suspension

Here’s how much salary Alvin Kamara will lose while serving his three-game NFL suspension. A spring restructure ended up saving him a lot of money:

As expected, the NFL issued a suspension to New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara that will sideline him for three games to open the 2023 season. That’s a relief for the team after the initial expectation was that Kamara would have to sit out six or more matchups. We’ve discussed which games Kamara will miss but how much is this going to hurt wallet?

After agreeing to restructure his contract earlier this year — reducing his base salary to the veteran minimum and having the difference paid out as a signing bonus — Kamara was due to receive $1,080,000 in weekly game checks over the course of the season. He’ll forfeit three of those while serving this suspension, which is a total of $180,000.

Had he not restructured his contract (which accomplished the larger goal of freeing up 2023 salary cap space for the team), Kamara would now be losing $1,560,000. So he both helped the team by agreeing to be paid in a different structure and secured his money knowing this NFL discipline was likely to be handed down.

Of course Kamara also had to pay legal fees in settling his criminal and civil court cases in Nevada and Louisiana, respectively, where he agreed to a confidential settlement out of court with the alleged victim. He’s probably also seen fewer sponsorship opportunities with this incident casting a pall on him. But as Kamara himself pointed out, he doesn’t want anyone’s pity or sympathy — he knows he made a terrible mistake and he still feels the embarrassment of it. That’s going to outweigh any dollar figures thrown around.

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These are the Saints games Alvin Kamara will miss during suspension

These are the New Orleans Saints games Alvin Kamara will miss during his NFL-mandated suspension to start the 2023 season:

This was expected, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. The New Orleans Saints are going to be without Alvin Kamara for the first three games of their 2023 season now that the NFL has suspended him, citing a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. Kamara was allegedly involved in a Las Vegas beating last year, recently agreeing to a plea deal in Nevada criminal court while settling a Louisiana civil suit out of court. Now that the legal process has played out, the NFL is issuing its own discipline.

It’s going to be challenging for the Saints to start their 2023 season strong without one of their best playmakers, but they’ve made a point to restock at running back this offseason. Adding a proven veteran like Jamaal Williams and an exciting rookie in Kendre Miller should help tide them over while Kamara is unavailable. They also have backups Eno Benjamin, Ellis Merriweather, and Kirk Merritt on the depth chart.

Here are the games New Orleans is set to kick off with Kamara watching from home, and each team’s ranking in 2022 run defense stats:

NFL suspends Alvin Kamara 3 games for violating personal conduct policy

The NFL suspended Alvin Kamara for the New Orleans Saints’ first three games, citing violation of the league’s personal conduct policy:

As expected, the NFL has handed down discipline to New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara after his recent legal proceedings concluded. Kamara was allegedly involved in a beating outside a Las Vegas nightclub in Feb. 2022 which led to criminal charges in Nevada and a civil suit in New Orleans — both of which he wrapped up by agreeing to a plea deal and undisclosed settlement. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report news of Kamara’s suspension.

In following its usual precedent to wait for a legal conclusion before issuing its own discipline, the league office in New York has suspended Kamara for the first three games of the Saints’ season. Kamara has the right to appeal this discipline, which could reduce the length of his suspension though it’s unlikely to be overturned altogether.

It’s all but certain the Saints will be without one of their most important players for their season-opening home game with the Tennessee Titans and subsequent road trips to face the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers. If Kamara’s suspension is upheld, he will return until in time for Week 4’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Caesars Superdome. He’ll continue to practice with New Orleans throughout training camp and the preseason, but he won’t be allowed back at the facility until Monday, Sept. 25 after that Packers contest.

It’s a good thing the Saints made the running back position a priority this offseason. Signing the reigning rushing touchdowns leader (Jamaal Williams) and drafting a hungry young runner eager to prove himself (Kendre Miller) should pay off in a big way. But they may not be finished yet. If the Saints aren’t content with the depth chart behind those players — made up of incumbent backup Eno Benjamin, undrafted rookie Ellis Merriweather, and wide receiver-convert Kirk Merritt — they could look to the free agent market for reinforcements. But they’ll likely want to evaluate the players already on the roster in training camp before looking outside the building for more help.

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25 most important Saints of 2023: No. 3 Alvin Kamara

The top 25 most important Saints for 2023 series continues, this time with Alvin Kamara, who looks to return to his previous form | @ClutchWDN

The New Orleans Saints are almost through two weeks of training camp now, and with that, we have had the opportunity to see some new and some old faces. We have also been able to see the level of depth at the large majority of skill positions that had been accrued both this offseason and last. With wide receiver having more depth than ever, quarterback having three quality players, and tight end having a competition for roster spots, running back has somewhat gone under the radar to an extent. Bringing in two new rushers Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller has made things intriguing, but there is one name left out.

Alvin Kamara. Entering his seventh season in the NFL, he has been one of the better dual-threat backs we have seen in the game. With that, there have also been negatives, considering the more recent injury history and potential looming suspension. Regardless, his elite talent has placed him at #3 on our list of the top 25 Saints entering 2023. In this series, we take a look at the following topics for each of the members in the top 25:

  • Recap of their 2022 season
  • Projecting their 2023 success
  • What is the biggest question mark for them in 2023?

Firstly, let’s get a look at some background information for Alvin Kamara to get an idea of who he is on paper.

Analyzing best-case, worst-case, and most-likely scenario for Alvin Kamara suspension

Alvin Kamara’s suspension should be handed down soon. How would the worst-case, best-case and most-likely scenarios impact the Saints? | @southexclusives

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara recently met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss the incident in Las Vegas last year which has led to his impending league discipline, which indicates we should receive word on the length of Kamara’s suspension soon. But how many games could he miss?

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport recently shared a couple potential suspension lengths. The Saints don’t have a grueling schedule, but this will definitely have an impact on the new look offense. You can’t have a full view of what the offense looks like until Kamara is present. Here are the first six games:

  • Week 1 vs. Tennessee Titans
  • Week 2 at Carolina Panthers
  • Week 3 at Green Bay Packers
  • Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Week 6 at New England Patriots
  • Week 6 at Houston Texans

We’ll break down the best case, worst case, and most likely scenario below:

Ian Rapoport shares perspective on Alvin Kamara-Roger Goodell meeting

Ian Rapoport shared perspective on Wednesday’s Alvin Kamara-Roger Goodell meeting and what a suspension might mean for the Saints’ season:

The NFL world is waiting to see what comes out of Alvin Kamara’s sit-down conversation with league commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday, where Kamara is expected to share his side of the story from an incident that led to his arrest last year. The New Orleans Saints running back was excused from training camp practice so he could take the owner’s private jet to New York and do what he could to limit the length of a potential suspension from the NFL home office.

And here’s NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport sharing some perspective on Kamara’s motivation for the meeting and what he seeks to accomplish. Rapoport discussed the issue with his colleague Mike Garafolo, who anticipates a suspension for Kamara to start the season.

“I’m with you Mike, I’m kind of on the same page here,” Rapoport began. “I would expect a suspension for Alvin Kamara but what’s going to determine whether it’s two games, four games, six games; potentially what was behind it; why did Alvin Kamara do what he appears to have done; the altercation that he was in in that video. Is there something he can talk to with Goodell to make him at least have some understanding and realize what led to that altercation. Obviously the background there in that conversation will be key.”

We’ll soon see whether Kamara found much sympathy from Goodell in this meeting, so stay tuned for updates. The Saints open the 2023 regular season at home against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 10.

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