Why the Saints Should Absolutely Not Trade Alvin Kamara in 2020

The hottest take swirling around the New Orleans Saints this offseason? That they should actually consider trading all-world running back Alvin Kamara. Over his first three seasons in the NFL, Kamara has cemented himself as a top skill player in the game, helping the Saints to 37 wins to date. He has amassed over 1,300 total yards in all three seasons, makng the Pro Bowl each time. They couldn't actually kick him to the curb, right?

As the Saints weigh whether or not to grant big-time contract extensions for their core group of young players, Kamara might just become a casualty. Some prognosticators have labeled him a potential trade candidate after battling leg injuries last season. He only reached the end zone six times in 2019 after hitting paydirt 18 times in the yar before, and had career lows in rushing and receiving yards. Given that the Rams' record-setting Todd Gurley contract extension turned out to be a colossal mistake, the Saints won't want to make a similar mistake one year from now.

Even though his decreased output was frustrating, the right thing for the Saints to do is to hang onto Kamara for his contract year. His lack of production was most likely due to the nagging injury that he nursed most of last season; he himself admitted that he wasn't fully healthy in 2019. No matter the reason, however, the dip in output does drag down his trade value, and the Saints' haul in return for Kamara would be lower at this point than any other point in his young career. Even if running backs have notoriously short life spans, it's just too early to bail on such a bright, multi-dimensional player.

Indeed, Kamara is a popular candidate for a breakout season in his contract year. Now, he is 100% healthy and should move back into “matrix mode." After adding wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, the Saints now have a plethora of options that will allow Kamara to get more one-on-one opportunities out of the backfield and in the red zone. That all points to a huge year for this title-contending team.

As the Saints’ future Hall of Famer Drew Brees enters his final seasons, it would be wise to keep one of his most essential weapons around. In the short term, keeping Kamara is the best option to help the Saints hoist the Lombardi Trophy next February. After next season, the Saints could then evaluate a potential contract extension for the star running back or consider the franchise tag. But no matter how they choose to act, shipping him out of town before the end of his rookie contract just cannot be considered as an option.