NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

CJ Spiller Injury: Mark Ingram, Marcus Murphy could get nice boosts

By Kevin Parvizi

facebooktwitterreddit

New Orleans Saints running back CJ Spiller is expected to have a profound impact on the team’s offense in 2015, because not only will the Saints likely run the ball more frequently in 2015, but Spiller also figures to be a huge weapon in this passing game. Unlike the Buffalo Bills, the Saints will try to optimize Spiller’s carries and take full advantage of his incredible speed, agility, and explosiveness with the ball in his hands. He’s a massive weapon with the ball in his hands, and there’s no better way to ensure that he’s doing damage than to feed him the ball on passing plays.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Where Do Saints RBs Rank Among NFL’s Best?

Unfortunately for the Saints, Spiller’s fantasy owners, and anybody who loves watching highlight-reel plays, the former Clemson star’s status is in doubt. The Saints will take on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET to kick off their regular season, and it’s a game that could go either way, though the Cards have an edge with several key players on the Saints out with injuries.

Spiller could be one of those key players. Thankfully, the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Andrew Lopez expects the Saints newest playmaker to be out there on Sunday despite undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery this offseason. The severity of Spiller’s injury is unknown, and there are conflicting rumors out there regarding his status, such as the one below.

With so few details available, all we can do is wait to see what the practice reports leading up to this week’s game tell us. At this point, we should fully expect Spiller to be a game-time decision, and I would be surprised if we see anything other than a “questionable” listing when the official injury reports come out, which wouldn’t make things any easier for Saints fans, Cardinals fans, or fantasy owners.

More from New Orleans Saints

If Spiller is able to play against the Cardinals, then he’ll go up against a defense that was actually excellent at stopping backs in the passing game when using Football Outsider’s DVOA. However, Spiller is a different type of beast, and he would at least cause the Cardinals defense some headaches and would slow down their pass rush a bit.

Additionally, he would give the Saints another player with some real juice after the catch, and I’m definitely hoping we’ll be able to see both Brandin Cooks and Spiller putting in work in Week 1. Both of those guys have a chance to be truly dynamic weapons in space, and having Spiller out there could help Brandon Coleman have an easier time making plays vertically, since he’s more of a long-strider at the wide receiver position.

Now if the Saints do miss Spiller for the regular season opener, talented No. 3 back Khiry Robinson might be seen as the man tabbed for an increased role. The problem with that line of thinking is that he received just eight receptions last season. Robinson is an efficient rusher, but the way his role in the offense would increase is if something happened to Mark Ingram- not Spiller.

If you want to start with someone who is guaranteed to at least receive a slight bump in usage, then look no further than Ingram, who is pretty pumped about his increased role in the passing game and firmly believes he can be a three-down back. After catching four passes for 57 yards in the team’s final two preseason games, Ingram would get a chance to show fans around the league that he is indeed an improved pass-catching threat in 2015 if Spiller is unable to play. He did catch 29 passes last season, so there’s reason to believe that he can catch a few more this week.

A more outside-the-box candidate for an increased role is seventh-round rookie Marcus Murphy, who is slow (4.61) and seems to lack athleticism (29-inch vertical). But the Saints drafted him in the seventh round of the draft despite committing to Ingram and Spiller this offseason, and they kept him on the roster for a reason, which goes beyond projected special teams impact.

It looks like the Saints are big fans of what Murphy can bring to the table as a pass-catcher, and if CJ Spiller is unable to play, then he’s immediately on the active roster as the team’s No. 3 back with a chance to net a target or two. Murphy’s physical tools look far from impressive on paper, but it’s worth noting that the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Larry Holder is high on Murphy’s versatility and indicated that the rookie could be a long-term candidate for the Darren Sproles role that Spiller, who will also get carries, figures to fill in 2015.

Murphy’s strong offseason on returns helped allow the team to cut ties with wide receiver Jalen Saunders, who briefly signed with the New England Patriots before finally tagging along with the Chicago Bears this month, and it’s always fun to discuss a seventh-round rookie’s potential impact. It seems like those around the Saints are quietly buzzing about a player who was compared to Dexter McCluster in the pre-draft process by NFL.com.

Mark Ingram looks poised to have a big day against a Cardinals run defense that allowed 4.4 yards per carry last year, and he should be a workhorse on the ground regardless of whether or not Spiller plays. If the former Bills star is out, then Ingram immediately gets a boost as both a pass-catcher and rusher, while Murphy suddenly becomes a player worth thinking about.

Update: Spiller is out this week, so lock in Ingram and keep your eyes out for Murphy.

Next: Where Does Drew Brees Rank Among NFL's Best QBs?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/New Orleans Saints