Jan. 24, 2026, 5:03 p.m. CT

Few teams need a stronger injection of talent and big-play ability at running back like the New Orleans Saints. It’s a point we’ve hit on so often and from so many different angles that we’re already tired of writing about it. No team has gotten fewer big runs out of their running backs in recent years — gadget plays for Taysom Hill and guys like Rashid Shaheed have been the teams’ clearest path to picking up chunks of yards on the ground.

Change is coming. Alvin Kamara is entering the final year of his contract. New Orleans has enough open salary cap space on the books in 2027 and 2028 they can tap into to be competitive in 2026. We should expect them to be in on some big-name players this spring, especially at running back. But how can the Saints get the biggest bang for their buck?

One suggestion comes from Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron, who likes New Orleans to sign New York Jets running back Breece Hall in free agency. Cameron went so far as to say the Saints are Hall’s best fit on the open market. Like we did previously in guesstimating what kind of contract Hall could find on the open market, Cameron connected the dots on an obvious need and a clear scheme fit:

A myriad of injuries in the backfield left the Saints’ running game underwhelming this season, finishing 31st in PFF rushing grade (68.8) as a team. Ineffective production on a down-to-down basis amounted to just 3.4 yards per attempt on designed runs (31st), while limited big-play ability resulted in just 6.5% of runs going for 10 or more yards, the lowest in the NFL.  

Enter Breece Hall, who had a career year in 2025, producing an 83.5 PFF grade and racking up 26 explosive runs. The Saints led the NFL in inside zone usage this season (35%), just one spot ahead of the Jets. Hall’s fit within Kellen Moore’s scheme is picture perfect, as the former Jet posted the third-highest PFF rushing grade (83.6) on inside zone runs this past season. 

Hall has been on our radar for a while, ranking in the highest tier of free agent running backs and looking like a prime addition for the team to target this offseason. While we can all agree the Saints need more help at running back, there’s a question of how to best get there. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is a popular choice for the Saints in mock drafts, and there’s some value in arguing that he would be a better investment at the position. The problem is you can’t assume he’s going to be available at No. 8. It’s possible, sure. Maybe even likely. But putting all of your eggs in one basket is risky.

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We’ll find out pretty soon just how high a priority the backfield is for New Orleans. Getting more explosive at running back would take a ton of pressure off Tyler Shough’s shoulders in Year 2, and it would line up more cleanly with the style of offense Kellen Moore has run before. The first domino to fall has to be a decision on Kamara’s contract. His salary cap hit has reached more than $18.5 million, third-highest on the team. Finding a way to get that number down is the first step to turning over this depth chart.