Absolutely no way the Eagles do it.
That was my first reaction when news broke on Tuesday that, according to NFL reporter Josina Anderson, the New Orleans Saints would be open to trading Alvin Kamara.
Even after taking more than a few seconds to contemplate the possibility of Howie Roseman pulling off a trade for the dynamic running back, I still think the chances are extremely small — if not completely zero.
Let's start with the obvious. Yes, Kamara is a running back, but make no mistake about it — he is absolutely a player the Eagles would place a lot of value on. The Eagles entire goal this offseason was to get more dynamic, quicker and younger on offense. Kamara checks all three boxes. Kamara could be a real threat in the Eagles' offense, where Doug Pederson could get him in space, make him a big part of the passing game and a wild card for opposing defenses to match up with. Pairing him up with Miles Sanders would give the Eagles two of the best young running backs in the NFL, both of which are able to make an impact in the passing game.
So yes, the Eagles would have interest in bringing in Kamara despite their general philosophy of not valuing running backs.
The obvious issue here is what it would take to land Kamara and what it will take to sign him.
The entire reason Kamara is holding out, and the Saints are open go trading him, is because of the running back's desire for a new contract. Multiple reports state that the Saints are willing to pay Kamara big-time money, perhaps even as much as $12 million a season. Where the issue seems to be between the two sides is Kamara looking for Christian McCaffrey-type money, to the tune of $16 million per season.
Needless to say, the Eagles are not going to be giving Kamara that kind of contract. The Eagles just watched Yannick Ngakoue, a premier defensive end, go to the Minnesota Vikings. If the front office was open to making a big-time move that will require a big-time contract, it would have been for Ngakoue. One benefit to Kamara's situation is that they could sign him to a long-term deal now, with a low-cap hit in the first year, whereas Ngakoue was going to be $12 million right now. Still, the Eagles are not in the financial situation to pay Kamara — who would essentially be a luxury addition to their offense — the kind of money he wants.
So while anything is possible in the NFL, the chances of Kamara being traded to the Eagles feel about as close to 0% as they can get.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
