For six seasons in the Big Easy, Alvin Kamara has given defenses fits by land and air as the top running and receiving threat for the New Orleans Saints.
But heading into the 2023 NFL season, Kamara is facing a suspension for his felony battery charge stemming from the 2022 Pro Bowl weekend in Las Vegas. But that’s not all — the 2023 Saints backfield now features a prized free agent signing and a hotshot rookie…both becoming early threats to take the RB1 duties.
Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller Make Saints Backfield More Competitive
With Kamara’s future in question, New Orleans went on to address the running game by signing free agent Jamaal Williams — the league’s leader with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022 with the Detroit Lions — and drafted Kendre Miller in the third round at No. 71 overall, who was last seen playing for the national title with TCU.
Of the two, in speaking with WWL Radio, Miller has let it be known what his goal is for the upcoming season after his selection.
“I don’t sit too well at backup. Even though I respect [Alvin] Kamara and everything he got for the Saints, and everything he did, but I’m coming for that No. 1,” Miller said.
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It’s quite the stirring goal for the Day 2 pick. Even with Kamara as the longtime lead back, Miller rushed for 1,399 yards in 2022 with the Horned Frogs. However, he now enters the same RB room with another 1,000-yard back in Williams, who had 1,066 in the Motor City.
Meanwhile, per Ross Jackson of Locked on Saints on April 19, Williams has hit his offseason grind hard with details of the 28-year-old doing 1,500 push-ups a day and catching 1,000 passes a day, all to prepare for New Orleans’ offense.
Will This Backfield Become the Most Competitive NFL Battle? Or the Deepest?
There will be some highly anticipated heated backfield battles across the NFC landscape beginning in late July, with Philadelphia, Seattle, and Detroit among the places where jobs are expected to be at stake.
New Orleans could become the fourth in this conference — especially if Kamara isn’t available right away.
Kamara hasn’t faced discipline yet from the NFL office, as the league often chooses to let a player’s legal process play out first before deciding to levy a punishment. Kamara has already pleaded not guilty on March 2 to conspiracy to commit battery and substantial bodily harm charges while inside a Clark County (Nevada) courtroom. Kamara still has a July 31 court date, jeopardizing a nebulous 2023 season where he may not be with his new backfield teammates or new quarterback Derek Carr.
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But, if Kamara isn’t lost for the season and is able to rejoin New Orleans at any point of the upcoming season, you’re looking at arguably the deepest backfield in the league.
Kamara has five Pro Bowl appearances in six seasons. Williams, meanwhile, is coming off his best season ever as a pro and will have momentum from that ’22 campaign in tow. The arrival of Miller gives the Saints an extra inside smasher who can wear down a front seven. He additionally comes with an explosive burst that kicks into gear the moment he sees daylight.
The Saints backfield has a mix of Pro Bowl talent and past 1,000-yard rushers. Again, this is an RB room where the current RB1 is facing the kind of competition he’s never faced before — from an incoming NFL player who wants his spot to a $12 million addition out to get back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. All three together, nonetheless, have the potential to make this the deepest in the league — and make the Saints an early threat to lead the NFL in rushing.