Zareh Kantzabedian

Schultz: Christian Kirk to sign a 1-year, $6M deal with the 49ers.

My thoughts on Travis Etienne signing with the New Orleans Saints: Fantasy takeaway: Etienne lands in a starting role but projects more as a middling RB2. Etienne signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. The move strongly suggests the Saints will either trade Alvin Kamara or designate him as a post-June 1st cut. That move would free roughly $19–20 million in cap space in 2026 while pushing about $18 million in dead cap into 2027. Kamara struggled significantly as an interior runner in 2025 and also saw a decline in receiving volume. However, the gap between Kamara and Etienne last season was smaller than many might expect. According to Next Gen Stats, Kamara actually posted a higher rushing success rate than Etienne. Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, Etienne’s fantasy production was heavily boosted by receiving touchdowns.  Six of his 13 touchdowns came through the air. Those scores accounted for roughly 14 percent of his total fantasy production. New Orleans also ranked 26th in running back targets last season. Replacing that production will be difficult unless Etienne receives significant goal-line opportunities, which should be hard to come by. Due to their poor offense, New Orleans ranked dead last in carries inside the opponent's five-yard line. That will very likely prove to be the same in 2026. Fantasy action: Etienne should be viewed as a mid-range RB2 unless the Saints significantly change their offensive philosophy.