NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - What’s for certain in the immediate future of the New Orleans Saints is that 30-year-old Alvin Kamara is still the feature of the backfield.
However, the depth behind the Saints’ all-time leading rusher is wide open.
The Saints’ running back room is a crowded one with a handful of players fighting for a spot on the final 53-man roster.
It’s obvious who the leader will be. It’s five-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara.
But the question is, who else can be relied upon in the ground game?
Quarterback Spencer Rattler was the team’s leading rusher in the preseason opener, with 3 carries for 22 yards.
Kendre Miller, Cam Akers, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Velus Jones Jr. combined for just 29 yards on 15 carries.
“We certainly feel like we need to run the football better than we did today,” said first-year head coach Kellen Moore. “Missed some opportunities there, didn’t get any explosives really out of it. It’s something that we gotta focus in on and play better in that aspect.”
Jones only had one carry for minus one yard, but his versatility helped him impress the coaching staff.
He had four receptions for 16 yards, and also had two kickoff returns for 73 yards.
“He certainly made some impact plays in this game,” Moore said. “The completions when you just find him out in space and he’s able to make plays. I mean, that’s the beauty of what Velus presents, and so he did an excellent job there and did an excellent job in the return game. Certainly, he showed well today.”
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Sean Fazende and Andre Johnson Jr. break down the #Saints preseason opener, focusing on whether QB Tyler Shough has earned the QB1 job for the team.
The Saints will face Jacksonville next on Sunday (Aug. 17) at noon in the Superdome. Tune into Fox 8 for our pregame show. Fox 8 will also have halftime and postgame shows.
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