2 Young Saints Playmakers Tabbed 'Biggest Losers' of Free Agency

With the Saints adding Travis Etienne, Kendre Miller and Devin Neal are running out of touches on offense...

Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints were very aggressive in free agency this offseason after winning a handful of games down the stretch because of rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.

They added a slew of talented free agents including Kaden Elliss, David Edwards, and Travis Etienne. All three of these players should step into impact roles right away. Each of them was added for a reason. They're all incredibly talented. Elliss is here to replace Demario Davis. Edwards will bolster the middle of the offensive line. Etienne is set to takeover as the franchise running back. But not everybody was a big winner.

Dylan Sanders of Saints Wire recently suggested running backs Devin Neal and Kendre Miller were two of the biggest losers in New Orleans after free agency, mainly because of the addition of Etienne this offseason.

Devin Neal, Kendre Miller unlikely to see many opportunities with Saints

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Devin Neal (24) is walked off of the field after an injury during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

"With the signings of Etienne and Ty Chandler, it's clear that the Saints want to try something new in the backfield. Chandler has less of an effect, but will fight for snaps in camp," Sanders wrote. "Neal had 57 rushes for 206 yards and two scores last year, but was far from consistent. He looked good better as the season went along, expected from a rookie, but had his season cut short with a hamstring injury.

"Miller has yet to break 200 yards in his first three years because of constant injury issues. The team has said they are not giving up on him, but it's only going to get harder from here. With Alvin Kamara aging, these two could have been looking for increased roles next season. It'll be tougher for them now."

Miller and Neal were seemingly looking to take over for Alvin Kamara whenever he left New Orleans, either in free agency or for retirement. But with the addition of Etienne, that's not going to be the case.

Etienne is the new franchise running back in New Orleans. He's still in the middle of his prime years, so he's likely going to take most of the workload for the Saints. Whatever Etienne isn't able to handle will fall into the lap of Kamara. Either way, these two will split most of the touches in New Orleans, as long as they're healthy. That leaves Miller and Neal out of luck as the depth running backs on the roster.