By Ross Jackson
With rookies set to report for minicamp this week, a lot of excitement around the new faces of the New Orleans Saints is bubbling up. However, with the excitement of young rookies joining a team comes the potential for them to push out established veterans.
Some incumbent Saints are going to have a lot of new competition incoming. At the same time, they have an effectively all-new coaching staff to convince in the meanwhile. There will be no loyalties, and nothing given this offseason.
This series will focus on returning Saints that are in for a fight for their roles. Because of the nature of this offseason and the extensive amount of change throughout, the list is long, so we’ll take it one at a time.
RB Kendre Miller
Starting with Miller may make it feel like there’s not a lot of faith that he could retain his spot, but we’re not jumping to conclusions here. Instead, this is about pointing out what’s ahead of Miller and why his upcoming performance over the next few months is so important.
Miller has the talent to be an impact player, of that there is no doubt. He fights for tough yards, has breakaway ability and has continued to develop as a pass-catcher.
Kendre Miller on film in 2024😎 pic.twitter.com/Ku0UqVkX5F
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 26, 2025
The struggles for the former TCU running back have all been about his health. Last year, he suffered a hamstring injury the first day of camp and didn’t make his return until week seven. Upon his return, he immediately averaged six yards per carry, but only saw six rushes. He later ended up on injured reserve for a second stint due to what many considered mismanagement by ex-coach Dennis Allen, only to return for a few games before missing the final matchup in concussion protocol.
Miller will have competition with the newly drafted Devin Neal. But undrafted free agent Marcus Yarns and returning backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jordan Mims and Xazavian Valladay will all add to the contest. Star back Alvin Kamara, of course, is perched atop the group.
Why Miller Has a Solid Chance
Miller should be in a system under new head coach Kellen Moore that plays to his strength. He was an oft-used inside zone rusher at TCU. He then landed with the Saints under play caller Pete Carmichael, whose attempt to extend the success of previous head coach Sean Payton came up short, and spent last season with Klint Kubiak. Kubiak had the Saints leaning heavily on the outside run game, which was an entirely new endeavor for Miller.
Under Kubiak, the Saints directed 69.8% of their rushes outside of the tackles, per Next Gen Stats. That took away the strongest part of Miller’s game as an interior rusher. Moore’s more balanced approach should allow the third-year back to do what it is that he already does well while continuing to grow as an outside rusher.
What Stands in Miller’s Way
Outside of the very populated running back room, Miller will have to prove he can stay healthy. Simultaneously, the Saints will need to prove their ability to keep their players healthy as well. It’s a two-way street.
New director of sports science Ted Rath has helped to generate some of the healthiest teams in the league over his career. He should deliver positive results early, which is a major plus for Miller.
Prediction
Miller deserves his chance to show what he can do under Moore and with the influence of running backs coach and associate head coach Joel Thomas. It feels very likely that, if healthy, Miller will be on the 53-man roster come cutdowns. However, his snap share and carry share will be challenged and impacted by Neal and his development.
With Neal being a selection of the new coaching staff, he may get the edge eventually. Miller will have to perform well and consistently in order to ward that off.
