The New Orleans Saints have had a pretty significant roster overhaul this offseason, and one of the more rapid turnarounds has been in the running back room. With multiple changes having been made before now, they have changed up one of the positions that, beyond Alvin Kamara, was rather tumultuous last season and even the past few seasons. With the team drafting one running back (Devin Neal), signing another as an undrafted free agent (Marcus Yarns), and adding one in free agency (Velus Jones Jr.), they have changed things up, no doubt.
The 2024 depth chart consisted of Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Jordan Mims, Jamaal Williams, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire by the end of the year, with Xazavian Valladay returning from the practice squad. And now both Mims and Williams are no longer on the team. That group combined for 348 carries last year, with Kamara taking 228 of them. Of the 120 non-Kamara rushing attempts, Williams and Mims saw 68. That’s a big vacuum opening up behind Kamara for guys like Neal to step into.
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It is clear that the team wants to move on from previous players who have not had a large impact and instead find replacements who can contribute at a high level. While Jones Jr. is not a huge pickup, he has upside as a return option, and the two rookies could both look to make the roster early on if things continue in this direction. They have to beat out Miller first and foremost, which, given his injury history, could be something that happens unless he has a career resurgence. It will be intriguing to see who makes it out of the gauntlet that is the running back room this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints cut multiple running backs, reshuffle depth chart for 2025