A week after Trent Richardson was traded to the Indianapolis Colts, another former running back could see a jersey change sooner rather than later. Mark Ingram has not been thrilled about his position on the New Orleans Saints for some time now. Stuck on a roster deep in running back talent that is never used, the former first-round draft pick and Heisman winner is requesting a change of scenery.
The NFL trade deadline is Week 8 and NFL sources (per CBSSports.com) are reporting that Ingram wants to be gone from the Saints before that. Ingram is trying to stand out in a group that consists of Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas. The Saints have a total of five running backs on the roster which hurts Ingram. In college, Ingram was a downfield runner. He excelled as the game went on with more carries. He is the type of back that works better carrying the entire workload rather than rotating with two other players.
Ingram has one year remaining on a contract that will pay him $1.4 million in 2014. With that, a deal could be easy to make at this point in the season. Ingram has fallen out of favor with the Saints. He was inactive against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday making it pretty clear where he stood with the team. with teams already showing interest in moving more players before the trade deadline than ever before, Ingram could be a top target amongst teams.
So where could Ingram land? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be a strong option. At this point, Josh Freeman is desperate to get off that team before they just simply let him leave. The team could also use some help at the running back position. Doug Martin has talent, but he could use some help. Jeff Demps is not worth much so the addition of Ingram could give the team some fire power.
Another candidate could be the Green Bay Packers. This is probably very unlikely considering the team drafted two rookie running backs, but injuries have taken a toll on the position. Eddie Lacy is currently sitting out with a concussion. His status remains unknown as the team enters a bye week. James Starks is good, but suffered a knee injury on Sunday, hurting his status. Johnathan Franklin was responsible for a fumble that played a large part in Green Bay's loss to Cincinnati.
There are certainly teams that will make a play on Ingram. He has talent if he is placed in the right situation. Richardson proved on Sunday that a change in scenery can do a player some good and Ingram will benefit from that if the trade goes through.
