Broncos Urged to Trade for Saints RB Alvin Kamara

This would be a shot in the arm for the Denver Broncos, but at what cost?

Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against the Dallas Cowboys in the second half at AT&T Stadium. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have an offensive firepower issue.

After six weeks of regular-season play, the Broncos offense ranks 26th in offensive EPA/Play, 27th in offensive pass EPA/Play, and 22nd in offensive rush EPA/Play. In half of the games they've played this year, the Broncos have failed to score in the first half.

This was always likely a rebuilding season for the Broncos, especially starting a rookie quarterback and dealing with the salary-cap ramifications of the trade and subsequent release of former quarterback Russell Wilson. However, it's still shocking just how bad the offense has been so far this year.

Some of this can be explained away. The Broncos were always going to have growing pains playing a rookie quarterback. Bo Nix has objectively struggled in his first six starts in the league, but that is neither shocking nor entirely his fault.

However, the book is far from written on Denver’s first-year quarterback. The Broncos have also suffered a large number of injuries along the offensive line, with Quinn Bailey, Mike McGlinchey, Luke Wattenbergy, and Alex Palczewski all missing time. Denver’s 2023 injury fortune upfront has not been replicated this season.

Even still, Denver’s offense has been below expectation overall — specifically the play of the weaponry and the running backs has not been up to snuff overall. Can the Broncos alleviate these issues by making a move before the trade deadline?

NFL Network's Maurice Jones-Drew has a move in mind for Denver, imploring Sean Payton to get his former New Orleans Saints weapon, Alvin Kamara, in the Mile High City.

"Kamara will face his former head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football this week in what should be an emotional and competitive matchup. Saints fans aside, who wouldn't want to see the five-time Pro Bowler featured in Payton's offense once again? The Broncos appear to be on the come-up, having won three of their last four games, while the Saints have lost four straight and are navigating the middle of the season without their starting quarterback. Despite recent success, Payton's offense ranks 29th overall and 23rd in rushing entering Week 7. There's so much room for improvement, and there's no doubt Kamara would provide a tremendous boost," Jones-Drew wrote.

The Broncos could undoubtedly utilize a back of Kamara’s talent on the offense. Given how often the passing game opts to the checkdown and the inconsistencies of Denver’s current backs in the run game, Kamara could add a fun element to the overall offense and help make the team more consistent, explosive, and easier for the squad’s rookie quarterback. But is it likely to happen?

"That said, it's unlikely that the Saints trade their best asset on offense at midseason. Furthermore, Kamara has been adamant about wanting to retire a Saint, despite ongoing, tumultuous contract negotiations. So, while this probably won't happen, one can dream," Jones-Drew concluded.

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There would be cap ramifications for making such a move for both squads. According to Spotrac, the Saints would save $8.07 million with a dead hit of ~$8.08M in 2024 and ~$10.14M in 2025.

Denver would have to take on Kamara's base salary and roster bonus per game money, at the same time. The figures above are not exact due to games already having been played and money already being paid out this season.

Given the constraints of the Saints' salary cap and the current placement of the Broncos in the league landscape, should Denver trade resources both in picks and cap space for a soon-to-be 30-year-old running back who has dealt with ample resources the last few seasons?

If Denver were in a no-doubt Super Bowl window, the answer would change, but is this team “Super Bowl or Bust?" Or is this a young team in transition trying to scrape for a playoff spot while evaluating what already is on the roster? My vote would be the latter.

If the Broncos are still desperate for a running back in the offseason and they let Javonte Williams walk, and if none of the young backs on the roster step forward the remainder of the season, and the organization isn’t interested in the free-agent crop, perhaps it would be worth circling back to Kamara.

Furthermore, while the 2025 NFL draft is reportedly a much weaker class overall according to those in the league, this could be a phenomenal running back draft. Would Denver be better off trading for Kamara on the last year of his deal at 30 years old and giving up a mid-round pick or rather simply using that selection on a back in the draft?

Bottom Line

Kamara would no doubt raise the level of play for the Broncos offense and a unit desperate for players to step up and help take them out of the offensive basement this season. As it stands, though, it would be far more prudent to give ample opportunities for those already in-house to see if they can emerge as long-term options for the team as opposed to giving up future resources and flexibility on an aging, increasingly injured running back.

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