mapcow

Cut bait... lose the thug, offer him up with a bonus departure, and get a high draft pick.

BakoSaint

Kamara is not a victim. He knew becoming an NFL running back that a 7 year career would be way above average. He saw his peers like Cook and Elliott cast away by their former teams. He saw great running backs like Bell and Gurley decline at a much younger age than he did. He acted out and got suspended. He saw who was coaching the Saints and who their offensive line was. He made more money than almost any RB in his era except CMC. This offseason he did a mini hold out trying to get more cash and guarantees to get paid on this sinking ship for longer, rather than look forward to moving on to a team that was in a window to win. Now he could be publicly demanding trade, helping both himself get a chance to win and helping his team get draft picks for him without backlash, because the teams hesitancy to trade him could still be fear of public backlash, would be greatly reduced if he demanded a trade, making more fans understand it has to be done. Ultimately Kamara took a stand for cash, but no stand for winning, so far.

dizzle88

Well that's completely false, considering if he took a stand for cash, he'd still be holding out.

He's playing with no onward contract as of yet and getting hit with broken ribs every week because he's trying to win.

BakoSaint

He didn't take a strong stand for cash but he did take some stand. No stand is missing no practice and making no grievances public. The strongest possible stand is holding out all year like LeVeon Bell. He did something in between, he missed some practice and he expressed some dissatisfaction in the media, fighting a sort of PR war to pressure the team to extend him even though the Saints need to rebuild and he is a 30-ish year old running back who makes no sense in a rebuild.

Playing with no onward contract as a 29 year old RB is nothing special in this league. Derek Henry has no guarantees for 2025. Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott have been on year to year contracts. Raheem Mostert is on 1 year contract. Aaron Jones is on a 1 year contract. The RB's getting multi year guarantees, other than CMC, are like 26yo or so. If Alvin Kamara wanted a multi year guaranteed contract at 29yo he only had to do one simple thing, get the Saints to the Super Bowl like CMC. And CMC is technically 28yo so I dont think there are any RB in the NFL 29 or older with multi year guarantees of any significant value.

I am sorry that Alvin Kamara is taking some hits. But for the previous 7 years with the Saints, who made him a star from a mid round pick, he took less hits than any other star RB, and never had to rush for 1000 yards. Most running backs would gladly take less hits their first 7 seasons in return for more their 8th.

I don't think trying to win makes any football player an angel. Hopefully they should all be trying to win. Kamara is essentially facing free agency, because it would make no sense to keep him for $25 million he is set to earn in 2025, not that it makes sense for a rebuilding Saints team to keep him at all. Assuming the Saints cut him, or trade him to a team that views him as a 1 year rental, Kamara will be a free agent in 2025. So in trying to rush for positive yards he is trying to market himself for a lucrative contract. That is not a unique generous thing, it is trying to do your job well to continue making salary, something we all do.

The best thing Kamara could do is publicly demand a trade. That way the Saints can save money and focus on rebuilding without looking like they forced him out and Kamara can have a better audition for his next contract behind a real oline and have a chance to win this year. That Kamara is not demanding a trade makes me fear he or his agent think his best chance to be paid above market is with the Saints. In 2022 the Saints pulled the ultimate sucker move and gave Cam Jordan a farewell tour extension that was basically '3 years, 3 sacks, $30 million guaranteed.' Kamara or his agent may think that the Saints will ultimately cave and give him '3 years, 3 yards per carry, $30 million guaranteed.'

Sinner

I think the time has come to shift the focus away from Kamara, and deal with the fact that the ship is sinking.

lee909

He's a soon to be 30 year old RB who's numbered have declined the previous few years. There should be no new contract at anything above paying for his numbers the past 2 years and that's not much above vet minimum. Get rookies and under appreciated players in

SmashMouth

While he still has gas left in the tank, he has not been the same since his injury. He used to be able to cut on the opposite foot. He's been able to be an above average serviceable back. If we can get anything for him, we should. We're not going anywhere this year, haven't been for while if we're honest with each other.

TheOak

I have a somewhat different question but is also an extension of the answer. What will we do with what we get for him? Why does he want to leave and what can be done to address that problem?

I ask because if it is a systemic issue and left unresolved, it can and will impact future Saints players as well the ability of the organization to attract talent.

Assume you fond a magical way to get Derrick Henry under contract... Why would he want to stay or would he be begging off the ship as well?

TheOak

I wish... oh how I wish... Loomis wrote performance based contracts. The LTBE/NLTBE alone would give us a good bit of cap space as well as light a fire under player azzez.

BakoSaint

The idea that if you don't 'take care of your own' you won't be able to 'attract talent' is almost entirely baseless. If a team literally never extended its own stars in their prime, perhaps it could be true, but letting an older running back walk during a rebuilding year or as a strategic decision is something every team in the NFL has done and would have no effect on attracting talent in the future. Also, if we had Derrick Henry, we should trade him too. There is no place for an expensive aging RB on this team and we need draft picks to find more oline, a WR3/4, young RB depth, a TE, etc.

The 49ers let Gore and Mostert walk. The Cowboys let Smith, Elliott, and Pollard walk. The Eagles let Miles Sanders walk. The Packers let Aaron Jones walk. The Vikings let Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook walk. The Rams let Todd Gurley walk. The Saints like Ricky Williams, Reggie Bush, and Mark Ingram walk. Letting Kamara loose as he is about 30 and we are in a rebuild is smart and no talent would hold it against us.

In the scheme of things at other positions the 49ers let Joe Montana and Jerry Rice walk. The Patriots kept their cap under control for a 6 ring dynasty letting stars walk. The Packers let Favre and Rodgers walk. The Falcons let Matt Ryan and Julio Jones walk but were able to sign Kirk Cousins.

Its a business. Everyone understands that. Trading or eventually releasing Kamara to gain a draft pick and $10-20 million of long term cap relief is a good business decision.