Alvin Kamara has not been present for the last three days of Saints training camp and his absence is unexcused (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). This absence is believed to be contract-related, Schefter reports. 
The Saints have been discussing a new deal with Kamara throughout the summer, though it’s not clear if they’ve made him a concrete offer just yet. The final year of Kamara’s third-round rookie contract calls for a $2.13MM base salary.
Kamara said earlier this year that he wants to stay with the Saints, though he is equally eager for a pay bump after watching Panthers star Christian McCaffrey set a new all-time record for the position. While Kamara probably will not top McCaffrey’s $16MM-AAV deal and may not get to the Ezekiel Elliott price point ($15MM/ year), the Saints will have to make him one of the league’s highest-paid backs to keep him for the long haul.
Kamara and Mark Ingram became the first running back duo to each surpass 1,500 yards from scrimmage in a season in 2017, and Kamara eclipsed 1,500 scrimmage yards again in 2018 — when he scored 18 touchdowns. Since 2017, Kamara’s 4,476 scrimmage yards rank fifth in the NFL.
It’s sad that talented RBs have to hold out in order to get good contracts, but the fact is that Kamara could easily get injured or just fade very quickly. It happens so, so often with running backs. In a perfect world the union would negotiate some sort of contract assurance for top RBs so that they can be paid fairly and avoid these constant hold-outs, but I don’t see that happening.
Fournette?
Wouldn’t pay any running back big $$$ in today’s game.
Lights, KAMARA, action…
Pretty bad timing to do so. This is likely Brees’ last year and New Orleans’ best immediate chance for a ring. Whatever Kamara wants, he’ll get more after a championship run.
The Saints do not appear to want to rebuild after Brees, so chances are that they want the next QB to inherit Kamara-I would say that he’d get more after this year than he will right now while the Saints may be looking at more outside help to use their (limited) cap space on-like Fournette or depth like Riley Reiff or what not. Murray and Kamara were not as great a duo last year as the Saints would have hoped, I think, so it’ll likely be more effective for Kamara to wait on a more impressive season to demand a raise.
It’s so frustrating, as the Saints are probably willing to pay Kamara but intend to wait until after this season’s championship run when their in a more secure financial state. On the other hand, I understand Kamara recognizes his value and realizes he could suffer a career-altering injury at any moment. This is quite the troubling little predicament without an obvious answer, as it’s not as though there are any cheap replacements lying around. Fournette can’t replicate Kamara’s running style, while Freeman expects too much cash up front
Yeah, and as Simmons>Russ suggested in the Fournette thread, Fournette actually may be a good fit in New Orleans in a dream type scenario. While that’s unlikely, I definitely think that New Orleans is monitoring player availability to stock up this year, and Kamara holding out now and forcing their hand could cost them the ability to add another player in their closing window of Brees’ career.
Just hold out past week 1. By Buccos appreciate it