It was no secret the distance between Alvin Kamara and the New Orleans Saints came down to compensation for a new role now that Travis Etienne is on the team. It went largely unsaid throughout the offseason, which is understandable with ongoing conversation. Now that the deal is done, Mickey Loomis finally said out loud what the hold up was about.
The worst kept secret that was never really a secret is out. Loomis told media that negotiations were ongoing throughout the offseason, and "what's the contract going to look like? What's the role look like," were the focal points of those conversations. It was always going to be different with Etienne in the mix, and both sides were able to agree on what that should mean for Kamara.
It was also nice to hear Loomis finally lumped Kamara in with Cam Jordan as a player who wanted and deserves to be a lifelong Saint. That sentiment was always expressed in relation to Jordan, even when he wasn't under contract, but that wasn't the tone around Kamara. "It's meaningful to them and meaningful to us," Loomis told reporters on Wednesday.
Efficiency is the key for Alvin Kamara in a new role
Kamara has been the bell cow for the last couple of years, and hasn't resulted in many big plays. Instead, it's been a constant pounding on his body and multiple injuries. Lessening the wear and tear will hopefully remove the injuries and boost some of the explosive plays.
The Saints haven't found a way to consistently involve Kamara in the passing game in years. Screen passes used to be dangerous part of his game, but it's turned into an afterthought. Maybe those plays turn into more explosive plays due to Kamara having fresher legs.
Etienne has a long history of over 200 carries in a season. There's a good chance that continues in New Orleans, and that means a massive cut in carries for Kamara.
That's why efficiency is going to be extremely important when Kamara does touch the ball as a rusher or receiver. He played with a sort of snap count earlier in his career, and it produced the best version of Alvin Kamara. That was more than a few years ago, but Kamara not having to consistently beat his head into a brick wall should produce the best version we've seen since then.
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