Mark Ingram Re-Signs with the Saints; Grade and Analysis

Dec 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) carries the ball as Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) defends during the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

There is one less running back on the market, as the Saints have re-signed their former first round pick, Mark Ingram.

Here is what Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted only moments ago:

Here is some background information on the Saints running back via NFL Mocks:

"The former first round pick out of Alabama is coming off of a career year, with 964 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. The presence of veterans Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas limited Ingram and stunted his growth incredibly. In his first three seasons, he only started 12 games with 356 attempts. In the first year without Sproles, Ingram became a Pro Bowler and flashed what he showed in Alabama when he won the Heisman. ~George Stockburger"

Ingram proved last season that he can be a productive running back when he was given a bigger role in the Saints offense. However injuries prevented him from having the season that many predicted he would have. A few days ago, the Saints released their long-time back Pierre Thomas, meaning New Orleans had no clear favorite to carry the load for them next season. By re-signing Ingram, the Saints now have their featured back for a few more years.

It will be interesting to see the details of this contract because the Saints have absolutely no cap space, so the structure of this deal will be very intriguing. Re-siging Ingram could force the Saints to trade or release even more veterans before the league year begins next Tueday

Grade: C

This grade is subject to change when the details of Ingram’s contract gets released, but at the moment, giving a player who has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career and has yet to prove that he can carry the load for a team for 16 games a 4 year deal doesn’t seem that great. Again, the terms of the contract could change the grade for this deal dramatically.

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UPDATES:

NEW GRADE: B

While four million dollars doesn’t seem like a lot of money, for a team in the cap situation that the Saints currently find themselves in, the Saints should have tried to lower the salary and built in incentives. This isn’t a bad deal, but it also isn’t a headliner.