During running back Mark Ingram’s time with the Saints, he has split backfield duties with a variety of backs and he’s set to do so again this year with Adrian Peterson joining the team.
Ingram has not shared any displeasure about that arrangement and said that the two backs have helped each other since they began working together this spring. That doesn’t mean Ingram feels he’s incapable of being in a bigger role than the one he has played for the Saints.
“I just want to keep proving that I’m the best complete back in this game,” Ingram said, via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “You know Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson, I feel like I can do the same thing that those guys do, given the opportunity. So that’s my mindset, that’s my goal. I want to be the best back in this league. That’s what I come out here and work for every single day.”
As Ingram said, he’s not likely to get the same workload as the other two backs, but his 96 catches over the last two years and ability to chip in as a pass protector when needed are both valuable things to bring to the Saints offense. In fact, Triplett reports that the passing game is where Ingram “has excelled at the most” during training camp and continued success there should leave him with a good chance of being the most-used back in New Orleans.