Alvin Kamara had a good year, but could it have been better?
The New Orleans Saints have created a name for themselves with their ability to run the football over the years.
From Deuce McAllister to Pierre Thomas and Alvin Kamara, this franchise has had some great running backs in its history.
2022 was a year where Kamara led the backfield as he has for the last few years. However, the former Tennessee star was under-utilized in his lead role. Let’s look at how the year went down:
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Kamara
AK ran the ball for 897 yards on 223 carries this season, which is an average of right at 4 yards a carry. However, in my honest opinion, the Saints ran him up the middle far too often when that isn’t his strong suit. Kamara’s best when he’s out in space.
While on the subject of Kamara, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints tried to move on from AK this coming season. There’s two years left on his deal, and this would be the time to get the most value out of him.
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Taysom Hill and others
The ‘Swiss Army Knife’ has been an invaluable part of the Saints offense for a few years now, as he ended up being the second-best rusher in the offense. Hill had 575 yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 6 yards a carry. However, even though he’s listed as a TE, most of his reps came at the QB position.
Mark Ingram was the third best running back on the team in 2022, which was a disappointment in what was probably his final season in New Orleans. The former Heisman Trophy winner rushed for 233 yards and one touchdown for the Black and Gold this season.
New Orleans really struggled to find someone to back up Kamara in 2022 and now the running back room will be a serious position of need in the off-season. Whether Kamara is a Saint long term or not, the room needs to be addressed.
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