State of the Saints: Running Back

No matter what happens with Alvin Kamara, expect the Saints to address the running back position in more ways than one.

We have just a few more positions to get through for the Saints before we start the new league year. New Orleans has been a little busy with some of their recent moves and rumblings, and we can only expect it to increase prior to Wednesday afternoon. Today's focus is all about the running back position, which will need a good bit of attention for the black and gold.

STATE OF THE SAINTS: Quarterback | Offensive Line | Special Teams | Safety | Cornerback | Linebacker | Defensive End | Defensive Tackle

Running Back Overview

Dec 24, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) celebrates with guard Josh Andrews (68) and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (89) after scoring during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Players Under Contract: Alvin Kamara, Eno Benjamin, Derrick Gore (reserve/future), Adam Prentice (fullback)

Free Agent Outlook: Mark Ingram, David Johnson, Dwayne Washington

Priority Level: High

It's borderline critical that the Saints address the running back position over the next couple of months. As we've pointed out plenty with Alvin Kamara, even if there are no legal ramifications from his case, he could still get suspended under the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. Regardless of how things play out with him, there's room to upgrade.

From everything I've been told and have gathered, expect New Orleans to shop in free agency and also look in the draft for some answers. The Saints need to get a more physical presence who can power through the offensive line, and they're also in need of getting a back that has a skillset similar to Kamara.

The Saints can't afford to spend heavily if they do pursue free agency for options. There are some intriguing options to keep an eye on, and it'll be interesting to see what the market holds for players like D'Onta Foreman, Alexander Mattison, Jamaal Williams, Kareem Hunt, and David Montgomery. There's a lot of sub-28-year-old players that will all likely latch on to new teams, and it won't be surprising to see at least one of them wind up in New Orleans..

When it comes to the draft, there's a lot of rich options. New Orleans currently has more pressing needs to address with their No. 29 and No. 40 picks, but there's a case to be made if Jahmyr Gibbs is there. It's tough to see Texas' Bijan Robinson last past 20th, but you just never know. Day 2 and 3 options will also have some major intrigue, as players like Tulane's Tyjae Spears are some of the most intriguing players who made a huge leap for their draft stock. However, he won't be the only one. The Senior Bowl put a lot of guys in a prime spotlight, and the Combine only helped most of them out.

As always, we'll ultimately see what the Saints do here sooner rather than later. Again, don't expect them to just pursue an either/or strategy at running back. New Orleans really had a big change to their backfield last year after what transpired due to injury and where they were at in training camp. Hopefully, they won't have to go through that again, but nothing's guaranteed in today's NFL.

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