We know the New Orleans Saints are looking for help at running back — they struggled to play the style of run-first football Dennis Allen envisioned last season, and now they’re going into 2023 with a lengthy suspension looming for Alvin Kamara, who hasn’t been as effective in recent years without a quality player to split carries with. Now that free agency has begun in earnest, it’s easy to connect some dots. Just don’t try and connect the Saints to Ezekiel Elliott.
Sure, on paper, the move makes a certain kind of sense. Elliott is the most accomplished running back on the market. He also would not factor into the 2024 compensatory draft pick formula after being let go by the Dallas Cowboys. That appeals to teams like the Saints, who could receive the maximum four comp picks in next year’s cycle. Elliott can lead a backfield without shaking up any long-term plans. Plus, he’s a former Ohio State Buckeye and college teammate of Michael Thomas and Marshon Lattimore. The Columbus-to-New Orleans pipeline is well established.
