Saints bolster RB depth with Zamir White after injuries

The second week of the NFL preseason closed with a trade. According to ESPN, the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers agreed to a deal that sent linebacker Deion Jones to the Bay Area in exchange for running back Zamir White. The transaction addressed depth for both teams, particularly for the Saints, with No. 2 running back Alvin Kamara nursing an MCL sprain. White signed with the 49ers less than two weeks ago. He inked a one-year deal worth $1.2 million and was projected to enter the season on the lower rungs of San Francisco's depth chart. Instead, he arrived in New Orleans with a chance to see playing time early in the campaign. White had never played a snap outside of Las Vegas, as he spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders and accumulated 736 rushing yards over 45 games. Jones landed on the Saints' roster a few days earlier on August 7 by way of a one-year, $1.3 million contract. While he was an every-week starter for the Atlanta Falcons in each of his first six professional seasons, he filled a smaller role across three different teams over the last four years. Jones most recently played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and tallied 29 tackles in 17 games last year. Below are trade grades for the Saints and 49ers. Saints: B- Kamara's injury is a boon to Travis Etienne, who should take firm command of the No. 1 running back role in New Orleans if the former's absence carries into the regular season. It creates depth concerns in the backfield, though, especially since Kamara is not the only one on the shelf. Devin Neal aggravated a hamstring injury in Saturday's preseason game, and Audric Estime hurt his ankle in the preseason opener, leaving the Saints without the second, fourth and fifth options on their unofficial depth chart. Adding White to the group should keep the running backs afloat through the end of training camp, and he is capable of eating up a few snaps in the opening weeks of the regular season if called upon. Boosting the running back depth without taking on any additional salary is a win for the Saints, especially since the linebacker they parted with was no lock to make the roster in the first place. Jones was a cut candidate whom the team listed as a fourth-teamer. 49ers: C+ The 49ers were in need of linebacker depth with only Fred Warner and Tatum Bethune available to them, and Jones fits the mold of a third option. He could even push Bethune for the primary backup role, but the latter made eight starts in 2025 when Warner suffered his gruesome ankle injury and may still factor into the team's plans after making those important contributions. Regardless of how Jones fits into the equation, all San Francisco had to part with to acquire him was a deep backup who, at best, was sixth in line for carries. Removing players from behind Christian McCaffrey is always a risk given his extensive injury history, but the 49ers have plenty of more enticing backups they would turn to before White, who might not have even made the roster in the first place.