Back in May, the NFL announced that one-half of the New Orleans Saints All-Pro running back duo would be suspended. Mark Ingram found himself suspended for the first four games of the 2018 NFL season. Ingram was an important part of the Saints offense last season. The loss of Ingram will mean the team’s workhorse running back will miss games, something the team couldn’t have been thrilled with.
Despite this, Saints fans need not worry about their running back staff going into the first few games, as they have a sneaky good group of players. All are chomping at the bit to carry the workload that would’ve been Ingram’s, and make their case to be the third back on the depth chart throughout the rest of the regular season.
Despite Mark Ingram Suspension, New Orleans Saints Boasts Favorable Running Back Situation
The Saints were ready for the oncoming suspension of Ingram. As such, they loaded up their backfield for if Ingram’s appeal of his suspension was to be denied. It turns out, the Saints were right to build up their backfield. Ingram was suspended for the first four games of the season, shortly after the appeal was made.
The under-noticed fact about this running back re-stock is that, in addition to picking up for the loss of Ingram, the Saints added some great competition for the role of third on the running back depth chart. The Saints also added players with differing skillsets who can very much contribute to the Saints run game in different ways, no matter who ends up on the final roster alongside the obvious choices.
In the off-season, the Saints added several running backs, as is par for the course. Ingram, Alvin Kamara, Shane Vereen, Jonathan Williams, and Boston Scott remain on the roster.
Ingram is a workhorse, and a powerful runner out of the backfield. His skills often contrasted the agility and pass-catching ability of then-rookie Kamara. With Ingram out of the picture for the first few games, the team needs capable backs to share the load with the budding superstar Kamara.
Enter Vereen, a capable, reliable veteran running back who previously featured in roles with the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Vereen has demonstrated a pass-catching skill set so far in his career. He has sure hands out of the backfield, and uses his speed and shiftiness to make plays. Vereen is going into his eighth NFL season. He has accumulated 1,489 yards on 356 rushing attempts over the course of his career. He has also picked up 1,864 yards on 221 receptions in the passing game.
The Saints signed Vereen in free agency, and he is one interesting option to pick up the slack during Ingram’s short absence from the team. Though the respective styles of Vereen and Ingram differ heavily, Vereen still could be a useful substitute.
Perhaps my favorite option for a useful substitute during the absence of Ingram comes in the form of Williams. A former member of the Buffalo Bills, Williams has spent two years in the league. Thus far, he has gained all of his rushing yards as a rookie with the Bills. Williams is a powerful running back, who has always prided himself on keeping his legs churning to gain additional yards.
The Saints recently had signed Terrance West but released him earlier in the offseason. When West left the team, the idea was furthered that Williams is likely to be paired with Kamara in the backfield, the power-back to contrast the finesse of Kamara.
Another interesting player to watch going forward (if he can successfully crack the roster) is Scott. Scott may eventually find himself on the practice squad for the Saints, after they drafted him in the late rounds of this year’s draft. Scott put up impressive numbers at Louisiana Tech. Utilizing his speed and ability to find gaps in the offensive line, he accumulated 1,840 yards on 288 carries. He also had almost ten yards per reception during his college years.
Scott is a sneaky-good running back prospect coming out of the gates in the 2018 NFL season. Though he hasn’t really shined much in the preseason, Scott is a fun prospect to watch. At just 5’6”, Scott is a little shorter than most backs in the league, but he’s quick, and his small stature allows him to evade defenses. His low center of gravity supplies him with plus running ability and balance. He finds gaps with a burst of speed, which led to his success in college at Louisiana Tech.
The Saints have added plenty of depth at running back over the off-season. That led to good competition in training camp and in the preseason games. The Saints will look to utilize the growth from this competition as they head into the first few games.
Ingram has looked good thus far in the preseason. However, defender beware. The powerful, strong running back is going to come back in four games; and he won’t be happy about the suspension when he does.
