SaintsReport.com - Home Page

By Mike Detillier

One of the most talked about offseason topics for the New Orleans Saints this year has been about the future of halfback Alvin Kamara.

Kamara is in the final year of his original contract when the New Orleans Saints selected him in the second-round in 2017.

Kamara has been a vital cog in Sean Payton’s offense as both a runner and receiver.

The issue is how much are the Saints willing to pay Kamara on a long-term deal knowing the team has potential deals to be done in the near future with linebacker Demario Davis, the best right tackle in pro football in Ryan Ramczyk, one of the best young cover cornerbacks in the league in Marshon Lattimore and a promising defensive tackle in Sheldon Rankins, who has had injuries each of the past two seasons.

There is no doubt that the halfback position in the NFL has been devalued and it shows up big on draft day.

In the 2019 NFL draft, there was only one running back selected in Alabama’s Josh Jacobs, who the Oakland Raiders selected in the first-round. Penn State halfback Miles Sanders, who the Philadelphia Eagles selected in the second-round, was the only halfback selected in the second round in 2019.

In the 2020 NFL draft, there was only one running back — LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire of the Kansas City Chiefs — selected in the first-round, with D’Andre Swift (Detroit Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), Cam Akers (Los Angeles Rams), J.K. Dobbins (Baltimore Ravens) and A.J. Dillon (Green Bay Packers) going in the second round this spring.

In April, the Carolina Panthers gave halfback Christian McCaffrey a 4-year contract extension worth $64 million dollars...

By John Sigler | Saintswire

Deonte Harris is one of the brighter young stars of the New Orleans Saints, having made the leap from small-school Assumption College to the NFL, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition along the way. Harris shredded opponents on special teams while returning punts and kickoffs, finally plugging a position of need the Saints had spent nearly a decade fumbling with.

The second-year pro appeared on the Straight up Saints podcast to discuss his breakout 2019 season, as well as his ambitions for 2020 and beyond. One area of improvement Harris has focused on is his untapped potential as a pass-catcher, saying, “I want to be more involved in the offense and help us put more points on the board. I want to do what I did on special teams, but I also want to play a role on offense and help out as much as I can.”

And he feels fortunate to be surrounded by examples of success like Michael Thomas and now, Emmanuel Sanders. The Saints inked Sanders to a two-year contract early in free agency, and Harris is eager to see the NFL veteran in action once the team gathers for training camp.

Full Story - Saintswire