Saints Could Cut Ties With $5.6 Million Offensive Weapon Via Trade To Bills

Not every signing in the NFL means someone else is on the trade block, but the New Orleans Saints' latest free-agent acquisition is an interesting one to monitor.

On Friday, the Saints signed running back Cam Akers to a one-year contract, following a tryout at New Orleans' minicamp. Akers certainly won't start over five-time Pro Bowler Alvin Kamara, but he's an intriguing depth piece.

Now that Akers is in town, the Saints might view third-year running back Kendre Miller as expendable. The former third-round pick has only appeared in 14 games in his first two seasons because of injury, and he hasn't been particularly productive when healthy.

In a recent article, David Latham of Last Word on Sports speculated that Miller could be traded before the regular season, and he named the Buffalo Bills as a potential suitor, due to the ongoing contract dispute with starter James Cook.

"The James Cook holdout looks like it could get ugly. After leading the league with 16 touchdowns last year, the former second-round pick is skipping practices while seeking some long-term financial security," Latham wrote.

"If this carries into the regular season, Buffalo will rely on the untested Ray Davis to lead the backfield. This is less than ideal, and a Kendre Miller trade could solidify the backfield while Buffalo sorts things out with their homegrown talent."

Miller, who is still only 23, averages only 3.8 yards per carry as an NFL rusher. But he has 15 career catches for 150 yards, and he upped his success rate from 39.0 percent as a rookie to 48.7 percent in year two.

The Saints may very well still believe in Miller's talent, so a trade is far from guaranteed. But Akers' presence allows them to try and land assets for Miller if they think he's expendable.

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