Star running back Alvin Kamara could be facing a suspension at some point in the 2022 NFL season. The New Orleans Saints may receive more clarity around the situation in August, when Kamara’s court hearing is currently expected to take place after being postponed twice since the incident took place in February. Until then, the team may continue to search for ways to make a potential 6-game span without Kamara survivable. So far, they’ve brought in veteran backs Sony Michel and David Johnson for visits, though no deal materialized in either case.
The Saints are not limited to the open market, however. That’s the route Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report went when he listed one trade each team should make before training camp starts. In his proposal, the Saints would send a 2023 fifth-round selection to the Las Vegas Raiders for versatile back Kenyan Drake. Here’s what Wharton wrote:
“Trading Drake would save $2.75 million against a $1.1 million dead-cap hit, which is a much better option than cutting the veteran.
New Orleans stands out as an excellent landing spot. With Alvin Kamara’s future uncertain after he was arrested and charged with battery resulting in substantial bodily harm in February, the Saints could use a versatile pass-catching back with explosiveness. They’ve worked out David Johnson recently, but Drake is a much better option in comparison.”
Drake would certainly be a fit in the Saints offense. He’s averaged a respectable 4.5 yards per carry in his 89-game career, though that average fell off a bit (to 4.0 yards per attempt) running behind some mediocre offensive lines the last two years with Las Vegas and Arizona. He’s also caught 199 passes for 1,535 yards (an average of 7.7 yards per reception), totaling 4,919 yards from scrimmage and 36 combined touchdowns as a runner and receiver (29 on the ground, 7 through the air). But he’s been at his best on a limited workload, much like Kamara.
And it’s likely the Saints would not be looking for a “bell cow” style back to take 80% or more of the offensive snaps. But instead, someone that can impact the game on 20% to 40% of a game’s snaps in rotation with some combination of the running backs on New Orleans’ current depth chart. That includes Mark Ingram II, Tony Jones Jr., Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, and undrafted rookie Abram Smith. Adding Drake to the competition ahead of camp in exchange for a Day 3 draft selection could be a move worth making.
