Odds the Saints Trade Alvin Kamara – Chicago, Washington Listed as Possible Destinations
- At an impasse in contract negotiations, the New Orleans Saints have reportedly put Alvin Kamara on the trade market
- The Chicago Bears (+400) are given the best odds of adding Kamara in a deal
- New Orleans remains odds-on favorites to retain his services for the 2020 NFL season, though
The New Orleans Saints are open to a seeing what they can get in a trade for running back Alvin Kamara, according to reports.
As Ron Burgundy might say, that escalated quickly.
The Saints have been in negotiations with Kamara, whose contract expires at the end of the 2020 NFL season. This week, Kamara skipped a number of practices, a certain indication that things aren’t progressing well.
That led to reports the Saints are open to trading Kamara for the right price. Oddsmakers were quick to react with prices of their own.
Odds on Alvin Kamara’s 2020 Week 1 NFL Team
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | -200 |
| Chicago Bears | +400 |
| Washington Football Club | +550 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +1100 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +1200 |
| Los Angeles Rams | +1500 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +1500 |
Odds as of Sept. 1st
The Saints remain -200 favorites to retain Kamara, at least until Week 1. The Chicago Bears, at +400 , are given the best chance of acquiring him if the Saints do opt to move on from Kamara.
Kamara Trade Talk
The reports that the Saints were open to listening to offers for Kamara caught everyone by surprise. Up until this week, there didn’t appear to be outward signs of acrimony stemming from the negotiations.
Then, all of a sudden, Kamara stopped showing up for practice, and people began taking notice of a cryptic post that appeared earlier this month in his Twitter feed.
Sorry In advance.
— Alvin Kamara (@A_kamara6) August 17, 2020
“Sorry in advance,” Kamara tweeted on Aug. 17.
Certainly, Kamara is underpaid in comparison to the production he delivers. He’s averaged 6.1 yards per touch over his three-season NFL career.
I made a graphic of the NFL teams that I think should consider a trade for Alvin Kamara. pic.twitter.com/NldT7kUCyy
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 1, 2020
The 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Kamara was a third-round draft pick. His NFL rookie deal will pay him $2.133 milion this season. That places Kamara 30th on the NFL running back pay scale.
His backup, Latavius Murray, is slated to earn $4.05 million this season.
Moving Backs a Hard Bargain
Reports are the Saints would want a first-round draft pick in exchange for Kamara. Good luck with that.
NFL teams frequently treat running backs like they’re a dime a dozen. Just one day earlier, the Jacksonville Jaguars ended up releasing two-time 1,000-yard rusher Leonard Fournette.
On the Alvin Kamara situation with the #Saints, I'm told that right now, the team is comfortable making him a top 5 paid RB ($12+ mil per season). But Kamara's number is pushing more toward the #Panthers' Christian McCaffrey extension ($16+ mil per). That's a pretty wide chasm.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 1, 2020
Jags coach Doug Marrone insisted they couldn’t even get a team to offer them a fifth or sixth-round pick for Fournette.
In 2018, the Miami Dolphins were only able to pry a fourth-round pick out of the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for 1,000-yard runner Jay Ajayi.
Kamara Not Seeking Trade
Both Kamara and his agent are insisting that he’s not asking for a trade. He also said that, while not on the field, he’s been in the building every day as the Saints practiced this week.
Spoke to #Saints RB Alvin Kamara and his agent and neither has asked for or demanded a trade. As of today, they thought they were actively negotiating and making progress on an extension. Kamara has never threatened to hold out and has been in the building every day.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2020
Kamara is a triple threat. He catches the ball out of the backfield as well as any back in the NFL and he can return kicks. However, he’s coming off career lows in yards from scrimmage (1,330), touchdowns (six) and yards per touch (5.3).
The Saints are indicating they’re willing to roll with Murray as their feature back but this all seems like posturing.
I would be really surprised if a Saints team that’s all-in to win this year with Drew Brees traded away Alvin Kamara.
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 1, 2020
New Orleans is a Super Bowl contender. Trading a key component of a potential championship squad doesn’t seem like a winning strategy.
Pick: New Orleans Saints (-200)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
