Eric Ebron for Mark Ingram a potential trade to watch?
Is there a swap too good to be true for two NFL teams with major needs?
New Orleans is reportedly in the market for a veteran tight end, and a reunion with Jimmy Graham is a rumored possibility. If Graham falls outside of the Saints price range or there’s a strained relationship they may have to look elsewhere.
With an estimated $30 million in cap space, the Saints could take on Ebron’s deal and give him a short-term extension. Of that $30 million the Saints still have to re-sign Drew Brees, which may take half that money for next season. Nick Fairley, Kenny Vaccaro, Alex Okafor, and Gerald Hodges will be free agents, although the team appears to be moving on from Vaccaro by signing Kurt Coleman.
The Saints have eight draft picks this year, excluding the second rounder they gave up to San Francisco last year to draft Alvin Kamara. With late draft picks in each round and an early fifth round pick the Saints might be unwilling to move an early draft pick.
Could running back Mark Ingram help move the needle with Detroit considering the success of Kamara last season?
Detroit’s biggest need on offense next year is a running back after their tandem of Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick posted the league’s fewest rushing yard. Ingram alone nearly had as many rushing yards as the Lions all together last year.
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Swapping Ebron and Ingram would save Detroit the hassle of drafting Derrius Guice in the first round. Now the Lions can hold off on drafting a back until the later rounds where they could find more value. Instead, they can build up their defense with 10 free agents on that side of the ball, including Tahir Whitehead, Haloti Ngata, Paul Worrilow, Tavon Wilson, and Nevin Lawson.
Both Ebron and Ingram are entering the final year of their contracts, with Ebron owed about $2 million more with no dead cap.
A draft pick could be swapped either way to help even out the deal, but it would fill a need on both sides. New Orleans’ deal for Max Unger with Seattle for Graham, at the time, felt like a win-win by both sides.
It’s all theoretical and maybe too good to be true, but it would fill needs for both teams.