The Baltimore Ravens got knocked out of the playoffs earlier than they wanted to thanks to the Buffalo Bills, and their offseason will begin with a few tough decisions. The team released running back Mark Ingram after losing to the Bills in an anticipated move, especially with the emergence of JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Ingram was one of the most well-liked members of the Ravens team, and his āBig Trussā speech about Lamar Jackson last season will be one of the all-time greatest clips.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said it's hard to say whether there will be any more cap cuts because the salary cap has not been set yet.
Ravens waived RB Mark Ingram last week, which freed up $5 million in cap space.
ā Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 25, 2021
The move wasn't surprising and the Ravens decided to save a bit of money on a player whose role diminished over the course of the year, even though he can still play.
For Ingram, all is not lost. He appeared in 11 games for the Ravens in 2020 and rushed for 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and is just one year removed from a 1,000-yard season.
Ingram, the former Heisman Trophy winner, should have suitors in free agency, even if it's not with a starting job.
Who are some of the teams that could land Mark Ingram in the upcoming free agency period?
3. Buffalo Bills
While Mark Ingram isn't exactly the stud rusher that Buffalo wants, he could come at a much cheaper price than Aaron Jones or Chris Carson, for example.
The Bills eliminated the Ravens from playoff contention before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's no secret that this Bills rushing attack needs some serious help. Devin Singletary and Zack Moss were subpar, as the duo combined to rush for just 1,100 yards on the year.
TJ Yeldon is not what he once was and is not an every-down back, and the lack of a running game severely impacted the Bills' chances at making a trip to the Super Bowl.
Josh Allen played really well, but Brian Daboll and Sean McDermott were extremely hesitant to run the football all year, even more so when Moss got injured and was forced to miss the past few games of the year.
Mark Ingram is a machine š¤
7th TD of the year!#CINvsBAL
(Via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/aNSEf4O9Psā PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 13, 2019
The core of the Buffalo offense is excellent, so a top-end back like Jones might not be necessary, rather a goal-line, physical back who can run through the tackles and pick up a few extra yards.
Enter Mark Ingram.
Ingram is exactly the type of physical player McDermott loves, and Allen would be overjoyed to hand the ball on 3rd-and-1 to Ingram.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have a ton of questions heading into free agency. Will Big Ben retire? Is James Conner going to be back next season? Will Tiktok legend Juju Smith-Schuster be playing elsewhere?
Either way, the Steelers need another back, and Ingram to the Steel City makes a lot of sense.
Conner is still a good running back, and a return to Pittsburgh seems likely, but a backup is essential, especially after watching games with Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland leading the show.
Ingram can come in and could quite possibly be the main guy, depending on what the team decides to do with Conner, and Mike Tomlin loves physical players like Mark Ingram.
The best part for the Steelers? They could save some money and get a capable running back regardless of if Conner comes back or not.
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are going to need a running back this offseason no matter who it is, especially with Arthur Smith being named the new head coach in Atlanta.
The Todd Gurley experiment didn't turn out too well, as he rushed for a career-low 678 yards in his first season in Atlanta. Brian Hill and Ito Smith don't figure to be the guys to take over 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, perhaps Ingram could benefit from being a back-up or perhaps becoming the main guy. Plus, we all know how much Smith loves his power backs, as Derrick Henry ran for 2,000 yards with Smith as the offensive coordinator this past season for the Tennessee Titans.
The Falcons might go after Aaron Jones or Chris Carson, or they could potentially draft a running back, but bringing in an experienced veteran like Mark Ingram would make sense for a team that might also have a new quarterback in 2021.
The receiving core of Calvin Ridley, Julio Jones, and Russell Gage is one of the better 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 compete.
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