Alvin Kamara - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Saints RB Alvin Kamara

August 15th, 2022 at 12:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have made a number of changes on offense this offseason, but much of the unit’s success will still depend on running back Alvin Kamara. His availability for the 2022 campaign has been in doubt dating back to February, but there is a chance he suits up for the full season.

Kamara was charged with felony battery for his involvement in an altercation which took place during Pro Bowl weekend. As a result, he has been expected to face a six-game suspension, which would be in line with the NFL’s personal conduct policy. A ban of that length would mark the longest absence of the 27-year-old’s career.

Not long after his arrest, it was reported that Kamara is also facing a civil suit from the incident’s victim, Darnell Greene. With court proceedings representing a potential significant delay in the league’s disciplinary process, though, the chance has existed that Kamara be eligible to play in Week 1. Since the league is strictly “monitoring” the legal process at this point, those chances are growing by the day.

Indeed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that “it looks more and more unlikely” that a suspension will be handed down at least in time for the start of the regular season (video link). The possibility of a significant ban hanging over him could complicate the Saints’ RB room, which also includes Mark Ingram, Dwayne Washington, Tony Jones Jr. and Devine Ozigbo. The team was understandably reported to be on the lookout for added depth in the event of losing Kamara, but they cut Malcolm Brown last week.

Since, as Schefter adds, Kamara “may be on the field for the majority if not all of this season,” this situation is likely to remain unclear for the rest of the summer, but it will remain a key storyline surrounding the Saints.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Elflein, Falcons

August 3rd, 2022 at 9:49am CST by Sam Robinson

A potential Alvin Kamara suspension does not appear to be coming to start the 2022 season. The Saints running back’s hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit battery and battery with substantial bodily harm, which was scheduled for this week, has been delayed 60 days, according to KLAS-TV’s David Charns. Kamara, Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons and two other men face charges in connection with a Feb. 5 assault committed against a man in Las Vegas. The Saints Pro Bowler is bracing for a six-game suspension, but depending on when this hearing ends up taking place, that potential ban may come either during the 2022 season or to start the ’23 campaign.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

Tyrann Mathieu is back with the Saints. The offseason addition is making his training camp debut six days late after being excused for a personal matter, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Signed to a three-year deal worth $28.3MM, Mathieu is believed to have returned to New Orleans on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old All-Pro joins Marcus Maye as the safeties on track to replace the Marcus Williams–Malcolm Jenkins tandem.
Pat Elflein has played both guard and center for the Panthers, but Matt Rhule said recently the veteran will be working at the latter spot during training camp. Elflein is battling the recently signed Bradley Bozeman for the center gig. Despite Bozeman being one of the team’s offseason additions up front, along with projected starters Austin Corbett and Ikem Ekwonu, The Athletic’s Joe Person noted ahead of camp Elflein had a slight lead for the pivot job (subscription required). A former Vikings center starter, Elflein signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Panthers in 2021. He started nine games with Carolina last season, though Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst interior O-linemen.
The Panthers made some changes to their scouting department recently. They bumped Rob Hanrahan from assistant director of pro scouting to pro scouting director and gave his old gig to Tyler Ramsey, Person tweets. Hanrahan will replace Matt Allen, whom the team parted ways with in February. Additionally, Robert Haynes will rise from the area-scout level to a national scouting post, and former Lions wide receiver Corey Fuller — brother of Kyle and Kendall Fuller — is moving from the assistant level to west coast area scout (Twitter link).
Jahri Evans and Ty Warren are attempting to break into the coaching ranks. Both are interning as Saints staffers at camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A 12-year veteran who made four straight All-Pro teams as a Saints guard, Evans, 38, hung up his cleats after the 2017 season. Warren, 41, spent 10 seasons with the Patriots and Broncos, being a starting defensive lineman for two Pats Super Bowl-bound squads. He retired after the 2012 season.
The Falcons also made some staff adjustments. They promoted Sal Conti to pro scout and Rushell Harvey to player personnel coordinator, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both staffers joined the team last year under GM Terry Fontenot. The team also hired Donavan Ellison, previously a Panthers assistant, to work as a football analyst.

Latest On Alvin Kamara, Saints RB Depth

July 23rd, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL continues to monitor Alvin Kamara‘s legal situation. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the running back’s February arrest remains “under league review” while the NFL continues to monitor “all legal developments.” This includes Kamara’s scheduled court date on August 1.

Kamara was charged with felony battery following an altercation in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Darnell Greene eight times following an argument, with Greene being knocked unconscious and sustaining an orbital bone fracture. Greene has since sued Kamara for monetary damages.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy calls for a six-game suspension for felony battery. As Fowler writes, there’s no “firm timeline” regarding when a potential suspension would be handed out. League sources told Fowler that they believe Kamara will ultimately be suspended, but a lot depends on the legal findings. If the legal proceedings are dragged out, Kamara might be allowed to suit up for Week 1, although the NFL also has the ability to put the RB on paid leave via the commissioner’s exempt list.

Regardless of how Kamara’s legal issues unfold, the Saints are still hunting for RB depth. As Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com writes, the Saints would clearly like to add some reinforcement at the position. While Duncan categorizes the RB pursuit as a “want” and notes that there isn’t any immediate urgency, the pursuit could easily evolve into a “need” if Kamara is ultimately slapped with a ban. If the Pro Bowler is forced to miss time, the Saints would turn to veteran Mark Ingram, but the team otherwise has inexperienced depth in Tony Jones, Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, and UDFA Abram Smith.

As Duncan notes, we’ve already seen the Saints be aggressive when it comes to adding at the position. The team put in a bid for Sony Michel before he landed with the Dolphins, and they’ve also hosted veteran David Johnson and USFL standout Darius Victor on visits. The team even outbid the rest of the NFL in order to add Smith, who was “one of the Class of 2022’s prize undrafted free agents.”

Saints RB Alvin Kamara Facing Civil Lawsuit

June 25th, 2022 at 10:42am CST by Ben Levine

With a six-game suspension looming, Saints running back Alvin Kamara is also facing a civil lawsuit. A source tells Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the man who Kamara allegedly punched in Las Vegas will sue the NFL player for financial damages.

Kamara was charged with felony battery following an altercation in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Darnell Greene eight times following an argument, with Greene being knocked unconscious and sustaining an orbital bone fracture. The victim’s impending lawsuit is seeking compensatory damages based on those injuries.

Florio pointed out yesterday that the NFL’s personal conduct policy calls for a six-game suspension for felony battery. That battery charge could also land Kamara on paid leave, which would result in some roster uncertainty for the Saints as they navigate through training camp and the preseason.

For what it’s worth, Kamara quickly questioned Florio’s report on Twitter. As we’ve seen many times, these ordeals can drag out for months or seasons, so there’s no guarantee that Kamara ends up missing any games due to suspension in 2022.

The five-time Pro Bowler collected 1,337 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in 13 games last season. The Saints welcomed back Mark Ingram last season, but the team isn’t rostering much experienced depth behind the veteran RB. Holdovers Tony Jones and Dwayne Washington could see increased reps if Kamara is out of the lineup.

Alvin Kamara Bracing For Six-Game Ban

June 24th, 2022 at 3:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Pro Bowl-weekend fight could leave the Saints without their top skill-position player for an extended stretch. Alvin Kamara‘s February arrest put him on the suspension radar, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the veteran running back is bracing for a six-game ban.

Kamara was arrested shortly after the all-star game at Allegiant Stadium in connection with an incident that occurred at a Las Vegas casino that weekend. The Saints running back told police he “threw a couple of punches” in a fight that also involved cornerback Chris Lammons, a former Kamara teammate (Lammons is now with the Chiefs). Kamara, 26, told police a man, Darnell Greene, called a friend of Kamara’s “ugly” and said, “I’ll whoop your ass, too.”

The perennial Pro Bowl running back said he threw punches thinking the victim was running away and that he could not remember if he punched Greene while he was on the ground. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Greene approximately eight times and also revealed other members of Kamara’s group stomping on the victim, who was knocked unconscious and sustained an orbital bone fracture. Three of Kamara’s punches indeed came when Greene was on the ground, according to a police report. A felony charge of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm came Kamara’s way.

That may well lead to Kamara’s longest absence as a pro. It is not certain if a ban would occur this season, but that could be the case. A hearing is set for August 1. The NFL’s personal conduct policy calls for a six-game suspension for felony battery.

“We really just have to wait and see what happens,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said during an interview on the Dattitude podcast (via NOLA.com). “For me, I always try to [determine] what’s the worst-case scenario and what’s the best-case scenario. We have to be prepared for anything. That’s really the way we approach anything and everything, is be prepared for anything that can happen.”

The Saints have Mark Ingram, set for a rare age-33 running back season, but not much in the way of depth behind Kamara. They worked out David Johnson at minicamp and hosted Sony Michel. No deal commenced with Johnson, and Michel signed with the Dolphins.

Saints Restructure Alvin Kamara’s Deal

March 11th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have restructured Alvin Kamara‘s contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The revision will shift $10.465MM of the running back’s 2022 salary into a signing bonus, carving out another $8.372MM in cap space for New Orleans. Per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the club also tacked on a void year to the end of Kamara’s deal.

It’s another step forward for the cap-crunched Saints, who previously reworked the deals of defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Tanoh Kpassagnon. All together, that’s another $22MM in breathing room for New Orleans, though they still have roughly $10MM to go between now and the start of the league year.

Kamara led the NFL with 21 touchdowns in 2020, helping the Saints stay afloat while Michael Thomas was out. Last year, as Thomas missed the entire year, Kamara’s production slipped. In 13 games, Kamara rushed for just 898 yards and four touchdowns off of 240 carries, resulting in a career-low 3.7 yards per tote average. He also added 47 catches for 439 yards and five touchdowns — a significant drop from his past four years.

The Saints still have some more cap magic on the agenda, as well as a potential long-term deal for standout safety Marcus Williams. They’re also said to be interested in big-ticket free agent Tyrann Mathieu, but it’s not clear if they’ll be able to afford him.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Chiefs, Dupree, Weddle

February 19th, 2022 at 10:52pm CST by Ely Allen

First-round draft pick Alex Leatherwood had an up-and-down rookie season in Las Vegas. After struggling a bit at right tackle, Leatherwood was moved to guard to fill in after injuries to starters Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders’ former staff intended to move Leatherwood back to his drafted position next season.

The decision is now out of their hands and in the hands of new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. With Kolton Miller set at left tackle and Andre James filling in admirably this season with the loss of center Rodney Hudson in a trade to the Cardinals last year, the Raiders have three offensive line spots with which to play around. Bricillo’s placement of Leatherwood will likely depend on how they choose to address those open positions.

Here are a few more notes from around the AFC, starting with another note from the West:

Adam Teicher of ESPN reported that Chiefs’ reserve cornerback Chris Lammons is facing charges of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery in connection with the incident involving Alvin Kamara. The special teamer was a practice squad member for the Saints back in 2018. Lammons didn’t enter a plea, posting bail after turning himself in. He is set to appear in court again on March 8.
In other legal action, Titans’ linebacker Bud Dupree turned himself in on a misdemeanor assault charge this past Friday stemming from an incident last month in a Nashville Walgreens, according to Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean. Dupree reported for booking, was fingerprinted, had his mugshot taken, and was released. He will return to court for a settlement hearing on April 22.
Lastly, former NFL safety Eric Weddle, who recently retired from the league for the second time, has taken on the head coaching position at Rancho Bernardo High School near his old home of San Diego. The team announced the hire on their Facebook page earlier today. I know, I know, technically Weddle was most recently an NFC player, but, having spent 12 of his 14 NFL seasons in the AFC, I’m going to count it. Always known as one of the more cerebral players in the NFL, it will be interesting to see if Weddle pursues coaching beyond the high school level at some point in the future.

Saints’ Alvin Kamara To Miss Week 13

December 2nd, 2021 at 9:11am CST by Sam Robinson

Alvin Kamara managed three limited practices for the Saints this week, but the Pro Bowl running back is not set to return for Thursday night’s game against the Cowboys.

The Saints are planning to rule out Kamara and tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk for another game, Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater of NFL.com note (on Twitter). This will be Kamara’s fourth straight absence.

New Orleans did not put Kamara on IR, keeping him on its active roster in hopes he would not need a three-week absence. The knee injury the fifth-year back suffered in early November, however, has resulted in by far the longest absence of his career. Prior to being held out of the Saints’ Week 10 game, Kamara had only missed four games in four seasons.

Without Kamara, the Saints are 0-3 this season. They have lost four consecutive games. Although Taysom Hill is in line to replace Trevor Siemian as the Saints’ starter, the dual-threat quarterback will be without essential personnel against the Cowboys. Armstead and Ramczyk, who have formed a top-tier tackle tandem since 2017, are also battling knee injuries. Armstead is a free agent at season’s end, while the Saints have locked up Ramczyk and Kamara long-term.

Kamara led the NFL with 21 touchdowns last season, helping the Saints stay in gear despite Michael Thomas missing extensive time. Thomas will not play at all this season, and after Kamara’s 840 scrimmage yards had him on pace to set a new career-high, the latter Saints playmaker will fall well short of that mark this season. Although Drew Brees‘ retirement was going to make an impact regardless, injuries have limited the Saints considerably this season. They rank 18th in scoring offense and are looking likely to finish outside the top 10 in points for the first time since 2010.

Saints’ Alvin Kamara To Miss Week 10

November 12th, 2021 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Alvin Kamara will miss his first game this season. The Saints will hold their top skill-position player out against the Titans because of a knee sprain.

The fifth-year running back has not been especially injury-prone during his career, having missed just four games in four-plus seasons. But Kamara has missed at least one contest in each of the past three years.

New Orleans reacquiring Mark Ingram via trade looms larger now. Ingram has played around 30% of the Saints’ offensive snaps in his two games back with the team and has logged 15 carries in that span. The 11th-year veteran is also on track to break the team’s career rushing record, a mark Deuce McAllister holds with 6,096 yards, in Tennessee. Ingram is 20 yards away from eclipsing McAllister’s Saints standard.

Kamara, whose 21 touchdowns led the NFL last season, is 4-for-4 in Pro Bowls. Kamara’s 840 scrimmage yards through eight games had him on track for a career-best number here, though his absence this week will affect that pace.

This injury news will certainly sting a Saints team that is set to start Trevor Siemian for a second straight week and one that is missing Michael Thomas. The sixth-year wideout is out for the season. New Orleans was among the many teams that failed in a bid to sign Odell Beckham Jr. this week.

Saints To Release RB Latavius Murray

September 7th, 2021 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are set to have a new backup running back. They are releasing Latavius Murray, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, adding that the veteran refused a pay cut Monday.

While this strips the Saints of another proven weapon, it will give other teams in need at running back an interesting option ahead of Week 1. Murray spent the past two seasons working as Alvin Kamara‘s backup. He saw extensive time during that stretch, surpassing 600 rushing yards in each season.

Murray agreed to a four-year, $14.4MM deal with New Orleans in 2019, coming over from Minnesota to replace Mark Ingram as Kamara’s between-the-tackles sidekick. The team’s pay-cut request certainly came at a late juncture; Murray, 31, was set to make $2.95MM in base salary this season.

Missing just one game during his two-year Saints stay, Murray totaled 1,293 rushing yards with the team. He scored 11 touchdowns as a Saint, filling in for an injured Kamara for short stretches in both seasons, and provided a smooth transition from Ingram. The Saints have fourth-year back Dwayne Washington and second-year UDFA Tony Jones Jr. as their active-roster backs behind Kamara. The latter appears the better bet to take over as Kamara’s primary backup. A Notre Dame product, Jones has three career carries but impressed this summer.