Alvin Kamara ready to lead the New Orleans Saints in new era
Already one of the top running backs in the league, Alvin Kamara is now ready to take on a bigger load in New Orleans.
The Saints will look different this season in their first year following the offseason retirement of future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. It’s one of the reasons the former Tennessee star appears ready to lead New Orleans’ new-look offense, along with a bit of a workload increase.
Saints’ offense will look drastically different
Without Brees, the Saints lose one of the most productive players in NFL and team history. Brees is No. 1 in every major statistical passing category in New Orleans history. He also holds the NFL records in career completions and passing yards. Even though he missed a lot of his final season, there is going to be a big adjustment with Brees no longer around.
Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill are set to see time at quarterback for the Saints in 2021. Winston has thrown for nearly 20,000 career yards, eclipsing 4,000 three out of his five career seasons as a starter. He had a productive year in 2019 in his final season in Tampa Bay, throwing for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns. Winston has struggled with ball security though, leading the NFL with 30 interceptions that season. He is a former first-overall pick that has shown glimpses of being a capable starting quarterback in the NFL.
Hill is one of the most versatile players in the league. He lines up at tight end, quarterback, and in the backfield. He started four games for the Saints at quarterback last year, leading the team to a 3-1 record. Hill threw for 928 yards and four touchdowns while completing 72.7 percent of his passes in 2020. He added 457 yards rushing in addition to eight touchdowns. Like Winston, Hill has also struggled with ball security. He threw two interceptions last season while fumbling seven times, losing three.
The Saints also lost tight end Jared Cook and receiver Emmanuel Sanders to free agency when they signed with the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills, respectively. With star wideout Michael Thomas set to miss the start the season due to an ankle injury, the Saints will undoubtedly be in line for a major adjustment period. This all makes a leader like Kamara on the offense that much more important for New Orleans.
Kamara is a top NFL running back
Despite sharing reps with other running backs throughout his entire career, Kamara’s production in his first four seasons has been outstanding. He ranks second in the NFL in the last four years in both yards from scrimmage and total touchdowns from scrimmage. Last season, Kamara ran for 932 yards and added 756 more yards through the air. He scored 21 total touchdowns, leading the NFL. Now, with Brees no longer around, Kamara knows that he is in line for a bigger role and appears ready for an increased workload, NFL.com columnist Jim Trotter says.
“I don’t look at it as a load,” Kamara said. “I look at it as I’m doing what I’ve got to do to help my team, I’m doing my job. A load sounds like a burden, but for me it’s a blessing. If I go from six carries a game to 12 carries a game, that’s not bad. That’s not a load. They’re showing love.”
Kamara is entering the second year of a five-year, $75 million contract. With a lot of moving parts ongoing as the Saints begin their new era, Kamara just wants everything to fit correctly. His main goal is to help out in any ways that he can.
“I look at things like a puzzle, and it’s just got to fit,” he said. “If you put the wrong puzzle piece in the wrong place, it doesn’t work. That’s how I look at everything.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can contribute. My job as a running back and a leader is to make the quarterbacks’ job as easy as possible. So whatever they need.”
Image courtesy of: Chris Graythen via Getty Images.