The Baltimore Ravens were eliminated from the playoffs earlier than expected thanks to the Buffalo Bills, and their off-season will begin with some tough decisions. The team responded by bringing in Mark Ingram, a move that was expected after the loss against the Bills, especially with the emergence of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Ingram was one of the most beloved members of the Ravens’ team, and his Big Truss speech about Lamar Jackson last season will be considered one of the best clips of all time.
According to Eric DeCosta, CEO of the Ravens, it’s hard to say if there will be any more pay cuts because the salary cap has not yet been set.
The Ravens waived RB Mark Ingram last week, freeing up $5 million in cap space.
– Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 25, 2021
The move came as no surprise and the Ravens decided to save money on a player whose role has diminished over the course of the year, although he can still play.
All is not lost for Ingram. He played in 11 Ravens games in 2020, rushing for 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns and finished a 1,000-yard season in just one year.
Ingram, a former Heisman Trophy winner, should have fans in free agency, even if it’s not with the starting position.
Which teams can bring in Mark Ingram in the next free period?
3. Buffalo Bills
If Mark Ingram isn’t exactly the horse Buffalo wants, he could be a lot cheaper than, say, Aaron Jones or Chris Carson.
The Bills knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, but it’s no secret that the Bills’ rushing attack desperately needs help. Devin Singletary and Zach Moss were very disappointing, as the duo ran just 1,100 yards all year.
TJ Yeldon isn’t what he used to be, and the lack of a competitive game has severely diminished the Bills’ chances of making it to the Super Bowl.
Josh Allen played very well, but Brian Daboll and Sean McDermott were very reluctant to run the game all year, especially when Moss was injured and had to miss the last few games of the year.
Mark Ingram is a machine
7. The DT of the year! #CINvsBAL
(By @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/aNSEf4O9Ps
– PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 13, 2019.
Buffalo’s offensive core is excellent, so a point guard like Jones may not be needed, but rather a physical line player who can get past tackles and grab extra yards.
Come in, Mark Ingram.
Ingram is exactly the kind of physical player McDermott loves, and Allen would love to give him the ball on 3rd-and-1.
2. Pittsburgh Steel Mills
The Steelers have a lot of questions about free agency. Is Big Ben retiring? Will James Conner be back next season? Will Ticktock legend Juju Smith-Schuster be playing somewhere else?
Either way, the Steelers need more support, and Ingram in Steel City makes a lot of sense.
Conner is still a good fullback and a return to Pittsburgh seems likely, but reinforcement is needed, especially after seeing the games with Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland as hosts.
Ingram could come in and very well become the main guy depending on what the team does with Conner, and Mike Tomlin likes physical players like Mark Ingram.
The best part for the Steelers? You could save money and have a chance to see if Conner comes back or not.
1. Atlanta Hawks
The Falcons will need a strong comeback in the offseason, whatever that may be, especially with Arthur Smith becoming the new head coach in Atlanta.
Todd Gurley’s experience has not been very fruitful, as he ran for 678 yards in his first season in Atlanta. Brian Hill and Ito Smith don’t see themselves as guys who can fill the backfield, as the duo combined for just 733 yards in the 2020 season.
With a new general manager in Terry Fontenot and a new head coach in Smith, Ingram might be better off as a replacement or perhaps a leader. And we all know how much Smith loves his strengths, as Derrick Henry ran for 2,000 yards and Smith was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator last season.
The Falcons could go after Aaron Jones or Chris Carson, or maybe they could bring back a veteran, but bringing in a seasoned veteran like Mark Ingram would make sense for a team that could have a new quarterback in 2021.
Receivers Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones and Russell Gage are one of the best trios in the league, but the Smith-Hill-Gurley backfield is one of the worst in the league, and that needs to change if the Falcons want to keep up.
Related Tags:
baltimore ravens news, russell street report, lamar jackson, nfl news, baltimore ravens news today, baltimore ravens trade, baltimore ravens players, ravens news espn
