It appears 2020 will be Drew Brees' final season with the New Orleans Saints, but perhaps the same thing can't be said for the team's star running back.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Saints and running back Alvin Kamara have begun contract talks "in earnest." While Fowler suggests nothing is particularly close to being completed, he suggests that the discussions to this point have been productive.
On one hand, it shouldn't be surprising at all that the Saints would pursue a long-term deal with Kamara, who can become a free agent after the 2020 season. Even when you account for the fact that he hasn't received the typical workload of some other star running backs, the 25-year-old has racked up over 2,000 yards rushing and receiving in his three seasons. This comes even as the team employed Mark Ingram II for Kamara's first two seasons, and he dealt with nagging knee and ankle injuries in his third season.
On the other hand, the Saints did allow Ingram II - quietly one of the best running backs of his era - to leave in free agency after the 2018 season. Perhaps that was in part because of how confident they were in Kamara, but also a nod to the idea that head coach Sean Payton can make stars out of players that may otherwise be fringe starters on other teams.
That the Saints appear committed to locking up Kamara says a few things. First of all, as Fowler notes, the Saints believe that Kamara is one of the elite talents at his position, one they wouldn't be able to easily replace. Secondly, the desire to retain Kamara suggests that the Saints want as smooth of a transition as possible from Brees to Taysom Hill in 2021.
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