New Orleans Saints must keep Mark Ingram

The New Orleans Saints are one of the top teams that are over the salary cap as they have much trimming to do to get under it as soon as possible. The NFL salary cap for 2015 is projected to be anywhere between $140 to $143 million which would be a small sign of relief for the Saints. Regardless, the Saints have to make re-signing free agent to be Mark Ingram a top priority before free agency begins. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career at the young age of just 25 years old.

In 2014, Ingram ran for a career-high 964 yards and nine touchdowns. He certainly made quite the case to prove his worth to the Saints in hopes of getting a nice contract extension since his best football is very much ahead of him. Problem is, the Saints have to trim about $27 million by March 10 just to meet the salary cap minimum and probably have to cut some more in order to have enough money to keep Ingram on the team.

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Should Ingram hit the free agency market, plenty of teams will be targeting him since he has so much upside. Considering that he also had a career-high in receptions with 29 catches for 145 yards, he presents a nice option to plenty of teams that want a dual-threat kind of running back.

If the Saints lose him just like they lost running back Darren Sproles last free agency, they will be in a dire situation at the position that would see them lose one of their best offensive players.

Ingram makes big plays and when his number is called, delivers when his team needs it and has done so with no complaints whatsoever. Coming off a breakout year means that his momentum will continue to build upon towards reaching for bigger stats and to beat his performance of last season. If he didn’t miss three games last season due to a broken hand, there is no doubt he would have rushed for over 1,000 yards and ran in for double-digits or more in touchdowns. Even though the franchise tag is an option, I highly doubt the Saints would use it on him.

Franchise tagging Ingram isn’t really an option since the Saints are so over the cap that they need to make significant moves to be able to give him a guaranteed $10 million to stick around for another year if they go that route. It’s not worth it since it’s much better to get under the salary cap first and then sign him to a more cap-friendly deal. After all, Ingram was a big part of their offensive success last season as there is no reason to believe why the Saints shouldn’t make him a top priority before free agency begins.

Nov 30, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) carries the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Saints won 35-32. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

If Ingram does indeed leave the Saints, they will be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. The other running backs in the carousel the Saints run for that position had disappointing seasons when you compare them to what Ingram did.

Khiry Robinson ran for only 362 yards and Pierre Thomas ran for just 222 yards. Granted, all three running backs missed time due to injuries but Ingram stepped up and delivered regardless of what he was going through physically.

Imagine what the outcome would be next season without Ingram in the mix? No offense to Robinson or Thomas but they are nowhere near the caliber of Ingram and how he gets the job done.

Ingram was a Heisman trophy winner in college and a first-round draft pick back at the 2011 NFL Draft as it wouldn’t be a smart football move to part ways with him after all he’s done for the franchise. He’s a quality individual that should be handled accordingly since the Saints need him if they plan to be competitive next season with what he brings to the table.

Overall, Ingram stepped in nicely once Sproles left last season and filled in the void with some of his best performances to date. He’s always been a hard worker with an upbeat attitude for the Saints and should be kept in the long-term plans of the team for years to come.

Next: New Orleans Saints Mark Ingram 2015 Free Agent Profile

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