Saints' Rumored Interest in Jonathan Taylor Suggests They're Planning for Life Post-Alvin Kamara
By Mark Powell
Alvin Kamara is a tremendous talent, but his future in New Orleans is as murky as ever.
The Tennessee product is owed a new contract in the year to come, and after the Panthers paid a legitimate fortune to extend Christian McCaffrey, the Saints might be better served to let their stud running back walk.
The team's interest in a player like Jonathan Taylor at the bottom of the first round, per the latest buzz, is a further signal that deep down, they know Kamara isn't destined to stay in the Bayou past the final year of his rookie deal, which will pay him just over $2 million.
The #Saints, who pick at 24, have called teams ahead of team to get an idea of what it would it take to move up, per @diannaESPN. However, they do think their guy will be there when they pick. Don't expect WR or QB, but keep an eye on CB, linemen & Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) April 23, 2020
Taylor put up record numbers at Wisconsin, though he has room for improvement in the passing game. He's not of Kamara's caliber right now in that regard -- perhaps no running backs is -- but in due time, he could be a legitimate game-breaker.
With Latavius Murray in tow and the possibility of snagging Taylor, losing Kamara wouldn't have a devastating impact on the Saints. The shelf life of running backs is notoriously short, and if there's anything New Orleans can learn from the Rams' mishandling of the oft-injured Todd Gurley, it's that they shouldn't pay Kamara market value. It's just too dangerous.
The 2017 class was unreal at RB ? @brgridiron
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2020
➖ Christian McCaffrey
➖ Alvin Kamara
➖ Dalvin Cook
➖ Aaron Jones
➖ James Conner
➖ Leonard Fournette
➖ Kareem Hunt
➖ Joe Mixon
➖ Chris Carson
➖ Marlon Mack
➖ Jamaal Williams pic.twitter.com/TNxBjNEs2A
Kamara is coming off a down 2019 season, in part due to injuries. Paying him the kind of money he surely seeks isn't a wise business decision right now. Moving forward with a backup plan is also a bit of a shameless move, but one the Saints could be prepared to make given the circumstances.