The Saints have been in contact with tailback Mark Ingram as free agency nears and would reportedly like to work out a deal.
During an interview at the Pelicans-Mavericks game Monday night in Dallas, Saints head coach Sean Payton indicated the club wanted to re-sign Ingram.
“Obviously he’s someone that we want to keep,” Payton told Fox Sports’s Jennifer Hale, according to Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate. “Hopefully we can do that.”
According to the Advocate, Payton told Hale he had spoken with Ingram on Monday and that the club had a good working relationship with the tailback’s agent, Joel Segal.
The 25-year-old Ingram rushed for a career-best 964 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014. He ranks 38th among PFT’s prospective free agents in the Class of 2015.