Mark Ingram's four-game suspension to start the 2018 season will put the bulk of the rushing responsibilities on the legs of second-year tailback Alvin Kamara.
With Kamara's work load expected to grow thanks to Ingram's absence, the hype is building around the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year's second act, which sits just fine with him.
"I'm cool," the shifty dual-threat back told reporters Monday with the first day of OTAs looming Tuesday, per ESPN.com. "I was just talking to somebody the other day [about how] I was watching my highlights for the first time like last week. So I keep moving forward, I'm always looking for what I can accomplish next.
"That's] my mentality. Year 2, [I'm trying to do more than I did in Year 1. So I'm just ready to play."
It will be hard for Kamara to outdo his rookie year, at least in terms of balance. The back rushed for 728 yards on 120 carries in 2017 -- that's a league-high 6.1 YPA clip -- but recorded even more receiving yards (826) on 81 receptions and 100 targets.
Kamara split carries with Ingram last season en route to a breakout season for the duo, who became the first teammates to post 1,500 scrimmage yards each in one campaign and had their Week 16 jerseys sent to Canton to commemorate the honor.
With Ingram out for a quarter of the season, it remains to be seen whether Kamara's balance will shift more toward running the ball.
When asked if he'd be OK taking 15 more carries a game, a tactic Saints coach Sean Payton shot down as a "mistake," Kamara was unbothered by that prospect.
"From the beginning, I've said, 'Whatever I have to do,'" Kamara said. "I trust Sean and I trust our coaches. So however it unfolds, we'll just handle it like that."
The Big Easy's easy-going back will be understudied during Ingram's ban by Daniel Lasco, Boston Scott, Jonathan Williams and Trey Edmunds, who boast a combined 174 career rushing yards between them. New Orleans opens with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, at Atlanta and the Giants.
