The New Orleans Saints would be open to trading Alvin Kamara. This news comes out in relation to reports that Alvin Kamara has been holding out of training camp in hopes of landing a new contract.
First off, trading Alvin Kamara would be a great move for the New Orleans Saints. They would get out of this contract situation, gain some draft capital for him and be able to replace him with another cheap rookie running back and gain similar production for a fraction of the eventual cost of an extension. Second, Alvin Kamara can’t hold out. If he holds out he becomes a restricted free agent and there is no chance he gets the contract he’s looking for. Alvin Kamara holding out will do nothing but lose him money.
This is my stance on running backs. I’m fine giving them extensions as long as the difference in their production and the next person’s warrants it. If I can get 80% of Alvin Kamara’s production from a 5th round rookie who costs 10% of what Kamara’s contract is, hell yeah I’m trading Alvin Kamara and rolling with a rookie. This problem always stems from the salary cap. It is entirely possible to get 80-90% and sometimes even 100% of a running back’s production at 10% the cost by using a rookie. It’s not because I hate running backs, it’s just a matter of balancing the salary cap.
If there was no salary cap in the NFL, then I’d have no issue paying players. But when it comes to getting the most value out of every dollar, corners need to be cut and people become expendable. If Alvin Kamara’s extension is worth $13 million a year and a rookie gives me 70% or more of his production for less than $1 million I’m taking the rookie and trading Alvin Kamara elsewhere. It’s not because I hate running backs, it’s because it’s the smarter decision economically. At the end of the day, players are expenses.
