New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara’s worth proven in Peterson’s exit
Signing Adrian Peterson looked like a genius move for the New Orleans Saints until he failed to produce, leaving the space open for Alvin Kamara.
When the New Orleans Saints signed Adrian Peterson during the offseason, fans were excited, myself included. He’s a future Hall-of-Famer and seemed the perfect addition following the loss of Tim Hightower. Then the Saints drafted Alvin Kamara and, as the weeks went on, the discussion started to change.
While we all originally though Peterson would break out, he never did. Playing against his former team, Peterson only managed to pick up 18 yards on six carries. It was a far cry from what we had been hoping for. Then again, there was optimism that maybe the first game was a fluke. Sadly, it wasn’t and Peterson failed to pick up more than 50 yards in a game. Most of that had to do with the expanding role of Kamara.
The third-round rookie flashed in the preseason, giving hints that he could carve out a role. Against the Chargers, Kamara finished with 50-yd touchdown and put himself in the conversation. Since then, Kamara has become a huge part of the Saints rushing attack.
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He has finished the past two weeks with over 25 yards and a touchdown. While Mark Ingram is getting a majority of the carries, Kamara has become a triple-threat with rushes, receptions and returns.
In his five kick returns, Kamara averaged 24 yards per return. It’s been great for the Saints as it sets them up with good field position. That probably made the decision to cut ties with AP just a little easier.
In addition, he’s become a huge part of their receiving attack, too. Kamara is right behind Michael Thomas for the most receptions and receiving yards this season. So far, he’s just shy of 150 yards on 20 receptions, including a touchdown.
With all those factors, it’s not hard to see why Kamara upstaged Peterson. Kamara knew he had to earn his place on the roster and show he was worth trading up for. As for Peterson, it’s hard to imagine him believing he needs to fight for a roster spot.
Either way, the Saints sending Peterson to the Cardinals was a win-win situation. They were able to send Peterson somewhere he’s needed and make him a little happier, hopefully. As for the Saints, Kamara’s role can grow and he can become part of the two-back system the team is used to.
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It’s funny to think how things might’ve played out if the Saints hadn’t drafted Kamara. What would have happened with Peterson in the Big Easy? Would he have been a success or have been destined for the same fate? There’s no time for ifs in this league, however; the Saints tried him out and found out it wouldn’t work. Now, we can really see what Kamara’s made out of.