Saints offseason overview: Running backs/fullbacks

METAIRIE – The New Orleans Saints lost their first unrestricted free agent long before free agency began when fullback Zach Line announced his retirement shortly after the end of last season.

He was scheduled to become a free agent in March, but abruptly retired in January after seven seasons – four in Minnesota and three in New Orleans – after struggling with a knee injury for the second half of last season.

The sudden retirement of Line, whose statistics didn’t do justice to his value as a blocker, added fullback to the positions that New Orleans needed to address in the offseason. The Saints found a replacement Friday when they agreed to terms with Michael Burton, who played with Washington last season, on a one-year contract.

Burton, 6-foot, 240 pounds, joined the Saints last offseason and was released in late August and signed by the Redskins in mid-October.

He was drafted by Detroit in the fifth round in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Rutgers. Burton spent two seasons with the Lions, and two with Chicago before signing with New Orleans the first time.

Burton has played in 65 games, including 13 starts. He has eight carries for 11 yards, nine pass receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown as well as 13 special teams tackles.

If Burton succeeds Line his role will be similar to Line’s as a facilitator for halfbacks Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray.

The Saints will be looking for improved productivity from the running back position, particularly Kamara, next season.

Kamara, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017, experienced a dip in production last season as he played through ankle and knee injuries. He rushed for 797 yards, which was roughly halfway between the 728 he had as a rookie and the 883 in his most productive season in 2018.

In a statistical anomaly, Kamara has caught 81 passes in each of his three seasons. His receiving-yardage totals dropped from 826 yards in his rookie season to 709 in his second season and 533 last season.

Most significantly, Kamara scored 13 rushing/receiving touchdowns as a rookie, 18 in his second season and six last season.

Opposing defenses have become increasingly aware of the necessity to keep Kamara out of the end zone and limit his explosive plays in order to be successful against New Orleans. The injuries also impacted his productivity last season.

Kamara had a rushing touchdown in the Saints’ wild-card playoff loss to Minnesota in January, but his statistics demonstrated the absence of explosive plays. He rushed seven times for 21 yards and caught eight passes for 34 yards.

Saints coach Sean Payton said on multiple occasions that Kamara was healthy down the stretch last season.

“I think he was healthy and we saw him in the last couple games play well and we just didn’t have those numbers,” Payton said at his season-ending news conference. “When you go one-of-four on third down, just do the number count and then look at the possession. I mean, it all just plays itself out. Yeah, I want to absolutely run the football, but you’ve got to convert more third downs to have those opportunities.”

If New Orleans is going to be more productive on offense and advance farther than the wild-card round of the playoffs next season it’s going to need Kamara to regain the explosiveness that he had in his first two seasons.

Murray, who had 872 yards in total offense and six touchdowns in his first season in New Orleans last season, and Burton can have a hand in that.

The Saints’ third running back, Dwayne Washington, who’s a valuable special-teams player, is an unrestricted free agent. New Orleans will be adding depth at the running back position, whether it’s re-signing Washington or bringing in a newcomer.