Saints need to acquire depth at running back for 2022
By Kristen Wong
The New Orleans Saints should prioritize improving their passing offense before the 2022 season, but they could use more reinforcements in the rushing attack as well.
Alvin Kamara served as the team’s most dangerous threat, albeit one heavily impacted by a shaky offensive line. He experienced a slight drop in production with 240 carries for 898 yards and just four touchdowns, and Pete Carmichael will look for better ways to maximize the veteran back’s efficiency this year.
Other than Kamara, whose status for 2022 may be somewhat clouded following his legal issues from the Las Vegas incident, the Saints have virtually no back to rely on.
NFL’s Kevin Patra covered every NFL team’s running back situation heading into the 2022 season and noted that the Saints need to secure a few insurance backs:
"The big curiosity is what type of offense New Orleans will run without Sean Payton. Behind Kamara sits a question mark. Ingram didn’t provide pop and could be released… It’s more likely we see another round of roulette, including low-priced veterans and cheap rookies vying for the role."
New Orleans Saints need to pad running back room for 2022
Kamara, Mark Ingram, and Tony Jones are currently the three running backs under contract for 2022, but Ingram could very well be a cap casualty, and Jones didn’t show much this past season. The Saints may regret letting Latavius Murray go last year, as the veteran back has enjoyed moderate success on his new team and NOLA needs more experience in the RB room.
Ty Montgomery and Dwayne Washington are two pending free agent running backs who have made more of an impact on special teams, so neither player can really fill in for the RB2 role.
Patra’s prediction sounds about right: the Saints will likely roster a combination of veterans and rookies behind Kamara, allowing for plenty of competition for that backup spot.
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Both the Saints’ passing and rushing offense could see many new faces this year, but if Kamara is all clear to play, he’ll remain the team’s primary weapon.