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Philadelphia Eagles: Avoiding Mark Ingram trade would be wise
The Philadelphia Eagles would be wise to avoiding trading for New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram.
The Philadelphia Eagles went into the 2017 NFL Draft with a huge hole at running back and left draft failing to fill it. You could argue that the Eagles had one of the best drafts this year, but the argument against them was failing to address the running back position.
Yes, the Eagles did draft Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round. However, the former San Diego State running back looks to be nothing more than a third-down running back. He will likely be the replacement for Darren Sproles, which is good but does not help the way the Eagles need the help.
Philadelphia needs a running back to carry the load and be trusted to run between the tackles. They currently have Ryan Mathews under contract, though, he is likely gone once he can pass his physical. With the hole still on the roster, many have speculated that the Eagles could trade for a running back.
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With the recent news that New Orleans Saints center Max Unger will miss (at least) the first half of the 2017 season (via NFL Network), speculation that the Eagles could trade their starting center Jason Kelce for Saints running back Mark Ingram has gained some steam, via Bleeding Green Nation.
Kyle Scott of Crossing Broad said the following:
Indeed, I heard from a Little Birdie that the Eagles and Saints have spoken about said potential trade, and that discussions are still in the very early stages. Whether a deal gets done is still up in the air, but it would make sense for both teams.
With no disrespect to Scott, it does not make sense for the Eagles. The idea may make sense, mainly because the Eagles need a running back badly. But Ingram is more of a name than a player the Eagles need or want.
Let's start by saying that a majority of Eagles fans can't wait for Mathews' release. The biggest knock on Mathews was his inability to stay on the field. If we look at the last four seasons (64 games) Ingram and Mathews share a similarity that should scare Eagles fans away:
What is this showing? The fact that Ingram has trouble staying on the field as well. He has only played a full 16-game season twice and he has never started 16 games in a season. Add in that Ingram's contract isn't great (he is due $6.245 million in 2018, via Spotrac) and it starts to make less sense for the Eagles to add another expensive, injury prone running back.
If that isn't enough to scare you away from adding Ingram, the idea of trading Kelce also makes little sense. Yes, he struggled at times in 2016. However, he also played well. He also brings something to the table that Ingram can't: his ability to stay on the field. Kelce was the only Eagles offensive lineman (and offensive player) to play 100 percent of the snaps in 2016. Philly's starting center also played 100 percent of the snaps in 2015 (via Pro Football Reference).
That is something you can't coach but is so valuable. Having a center that can stay healthy and grow with quarterback Carson Wentz is more important than adding a running back that could hopefully play 13 games (his average games per season over his six-year career). If the Eagles were wise, they would avoid trading for Ingram, especially if Kelce is part of the deal. Although, if Kelce isn't in the deal and they trade Mychal Kendricks or Stefen Wisniewski, then it makes (some) sense.
