Saints' Alvin Kamara wins 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Saints offense exploded this year in large part to the rushing attack, and Alvin Kamara was rewarded as a result, netting the 2017 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award at NFL Honors.
Kamara, who was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, finished the season with 1,554 scrimmage yards in his first season.
"I'm not going to say too much. Thank you Mom," Kamara said. "She told me not to say anything other than 'Thank you' because she thinks she looks ugly when she cries."
The Saints turned back the clock and looked a lot like their 2009 Super Bowl team by leaning on Mark Ingram and Kamara. The duo became the first pair of running back teammates to top 1,500 scrimmage yards.
Kamara wasn't utilized fully out of the gates, with Adrian Peterson on the Saints roster taking up carries. Once Peterson was traded to the Cardinals, the rookie was unleashed, and it changed how the Saints operated. Kamara was a threat out of the backfield with the ability to rip off explosive plays, but he was also dominant in the run game.
Combining him and Ingram with the threat of Drew Brees under center made the Saints offense impossible to stop and helped New Orleans surge to the top of the NFC South once again. The Saints would fall short of their ultimate goal courtesy of the Vikings, but it became clear just how dangerous they can be with Kamara, Ingram and Brees on the roster.
Brees is a free agent but is expected back next year, and it's going to be difficult to slow down Kamara, who looked like he could be worth a first-round pick in Fantasy drafts even when he's dealing with another quality running back in his own backfield.