Finding the right backfield partner for Jayden Daniels may require the Washington Commanders giving up as many as two draft picks, but the trade would be worth it to nett an “elite-level” running back.
A deal for five-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara should interest the Commanders, according to Kevin Sheehan of The Team 980. Sheehan doesn’t think New Orleans Saints RB1 Kamara is too old at 29, but a trade “would require a minimum of a second. I don’t know, maybe it would be a third and a fourth or a third and a fifth.”
Any one of those trade packages would represent a reasonable price to pay for one of the NFL’s best multipurpose backs. Especially when Kamara’s “not a big cap number this year. He’s at $10 million this year, then $18 million next year, but imagine Alvin Kamara and Jayden Daniels side by side.”
The possibilities of a duo like that are why Sheehan would be “interested in any kind of player that’s elite-level as a playmaker at the running back position or the wide receiver position.”
Securing some help at running back ought to still be near the top of the to-do list for Commanders general manager Adam Peters. He’s already answered the need for another dynamic wideout with the trade for Deebo Samuel, but Kamara’s arrival would take an already explosive offense up a notch.
Time is Ripe to Explore Alvin Kamara Trade
There won’t be a better time to test the Saints’ resolve to keep Kamara. The team could be in sell mode after quarterback Derek Carr announced his surprise retirement.
It means the Saints will be building around a young passer who’s working with a rookie head coach, Kellen Moore. There could be a temptation to strip-mine the roster and build draft capital for the future, provided the price is right.
The Commanders haven’t been shy about swapping picks for proven talent. They added All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil to Samuel at a cost of four draft choices.
Peters shouldn’t be reticent about sacrificing more picks for a player of Kamara’s skill and versatility. The eight-year veteran has averaged 13.4 carries and five receptions per game, according to Pro Football Reference.
Few running backs in the league can match Kamara’s aptitude in the passing game. Something he displayed with this spectacular one-handed catch against the Commanders last season.
Kamara can run routes like a true wideout, but he also has workhorse tendencies on the deck. He’d be the complete back Washington’s offense still lacks.
Commanders Need an Elite Running Back
A complete running back is missing from Daniels’ otherwise strong supporting cast. Instead, he’s had to make do with a backfield committee.
It’s a well-stocked rotation where Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols are the pass-catchers. Meanwhile, Brian Robinson Jr. is supposed to be the bruiser between the tackles, but he remains a viable trade candidate.
Ekeler is also a back the Commanders have been urged to move, but he’ll still be important because of his ability on third down. Kamara would ease some of that workload, but he’d also be the every-down all-rounder capable of elevating a quarterback with Daniels’ dual-threat talents.
