Las Vegas Raiders: 10 free agent running backs and their fit
Mark Ingram. 5. player. 26. . RB. Baltimore Ravens
Mark Ingram is a good example of how quickly things can change in the NFL for a running back. Coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2019, where he rushed for 1,018 yards and ten touchdowns, the Ravens drafted his successor in the second round of the NFL Draft, and Ingram was relegated to a bit-part role in 2020.
Ingram was hounded by injuries and was a healthy scratch for some games as the Ravens handed the workload over to the JK Dobbins and the aforementioned Gus Edwards. The former Heisman winner was then cut by Baltimore during the postseason and is currently a free agent in search of his third NFL team.
The question now becomes what does Ingram, a 31-year-old back, still have left in the tank. We have seen backs fall off a cliff as they hit 30, but have also seen some tremendous longevity in recent years from guys like Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore. Jon Gruden may like the idea of having another veteran leader in the locker room, but whatever production Ingram can reach at this point in his career could likely be matched by a cheaper rookie.
Ingram is a talented back who has a solid track record of success, but those days may be behind him. Whatever money and snaps that Ingram would take up would be better served given to a player, even an undrafted one, who has upside and is not on the back end of their career.