Good morning, happy Saturday, and welcome to the June 15 edition of the Saints Insider newsletter. The Saints wrapped up their three-day veteran minicamp Thursday afternoon, and not without some drama. I hope you are not going through a contract dispute at your job. AK, no play? Two days after showing up for the mandatory minicamp and answering questions about his (regular) absence at the voluntary OTAs, Alvin Kamara made a somewhat public showing of hopping into his car right before the start of practice and taking off. As we found out shortly before the conclusion of practice, Kamara is not happy with his current contract, which technically keeps him here for the next two seasons but in reality only covers him for 2024. So what gives? Columnist Jeff Duncan offered his take on the imbroglio here, saying, "the public display of displeasure flew in the face of the positive vibe that has permeated Saints camp so far this offseason." The Saints Insider crew also weighed in on the impasse in the latest edition of the Saints Insider podcast, which you can watch here (like and subscribe, please!). Whichever way you slice it, it's a complicated situation without a clear resolution. There are clear and obvious reasons why Kamara would want a new deal, and there are just as clear reasons for the Saints to hesitate. We'll just have to wait and see how this all unfolds. One more time?Speaking of Kamara, now feels like a good time to revisit that foundational 2017 Saints draft class. At one point, it looked like it might go down as one of the greatest single draft hauls in history. Every single member of the class (including seventh-rounder Al-Quadin Muhammad) has become a valuable NFL contributor, and more than a few have become bona-fide stars. The three biggest names from that class — Ryan Ramczyk, Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore — are the only ones that are still wearing a Saints uniform. All of those players have significant question marks next to their name coming into the season, which led Duncan to this question: Is this their last hurrah? Yeah, but. We've spent a good deal of time talking about all the stuff that we've liked from this offseason for the Saints. Derek Carr looks good, and so does the new offense. Some young offensive linemen could step into big roles. Marshon Lattimore is mortivated. This is the time of year for optimism. Columnist Rod Walker isn't here to rain on your parade, but he does have some concerns. Four of them, to be precise. That's all we've got for now. Y'all have a great weekend. Cheers, Luke Johnson |