We’re just days away from the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline. Teams are scrambling to add impact players to their existing core or part with talent in an effort to bounce back in a bigger way next season. One of the players mentioned in trade talks is Alvin Kamara, the five-time Pro Bowl running back on the New Orleans Saints.
It’s not that the Saints are actively looking to trade one of their best players. Instead, it’s more of a matter of teams having great interest in adding one of the game’s most versatile weapons out of the backfield.
Now that Christian McCaffrey is off the trade block, Kamara has seemingly become the next big target for franchises looking to spark their running game. As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer pointed out on Saturday, one team that may make the most sense to acquire Kamara is the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
Yet, what New Orleans is seeking may make a deal too good to be true.
Related: Bold predictions for NFL trade deadline 2022
Philadelphia Eagles may be a perfect fit for Alvin Kamara, but not at current asking price
Interestingly enough, the Eagles have one asset that is viewed to be extremely valuable by New Orleans, which could be just enough to strike what otherwise seems an unlikely deal. Thanks to a trade struck a year ago, the Eagles own the Saints’ first-round selection in 2023.
With the Saints at 2-5, their pick is currently projected to land at No. 4 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Remember, they traded the 18th pick, along with their future first, pick No. 101, 237, and their 2024 second-round selection, only so the Saints could grab picks 16 and 19 (and 194), which they turned into Chris Olave and Trevor Penning.
While Olave and Penning could very well become great players (Olave’s well on his way), losing what could be a top-five pick makes this a horrible trade looking back. Needless to say, of course the Saints would be willing to trade their 27-year-old running back for what could be a generational talent who would stick on the roster for five seasons at a much lower cost, perhaps even landing their QB of the future.
- Alvin Kamara stats: 351 rushing yards, 191 receiving yards in 2022
In other words, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would likely laugh his butt off if the Saints actually requested their first-round pick back from Philadelphia just six months after trading it. While Kamara may be a top talent, he’s nowhere near worth a top-five or even a top-10 selection.
As much as the Eagles would love to add yet another weapon on offense, boosting the offense even more, the only first-round pick they may be willing to give up is their own, which currently projects to land at No. 31 (Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick due to tampering)
Related: 3 realistic Alvin Kamara trade scenarios from the New Orleans Saints