Is Mark Ingram a fit for the Chicago Bears?

The Chicago Bears may be in the running for free agent Mark Ingram. Is he an upgrade for Jordan Howard?

As the Chicago Bears left Indianapolis from the NFL combine it was quite apparent that the team was eyeing running backs. Rumors swirled that the team is interested in moving on from Jordan Howard and they are likely to move him by the draft.

While they field offers for Jordan Howard, they interviewed a variety of rookie running backs. While their most likely outcome is to draft at the position, they have been linked to Adrian Peterson, as well as Mark Ingram.

The question now becomes how much of an upgrade over Howard is Ingram? It is clear that there area where Ingram excels over Howard, and it is exactly what the team is looking for. Pass catching.

Ingram did not see much work in the passing game last year, but it was one more reception and 25 yards more than Howard. In 2017, he caught 60 passes and created over 530 yards after the catch.

Howard has 568 career yards after the catch. Ingram is a power back but a clear upgrade as a pass catcher.

Ingram also may present an upgrade as a runner. He had 3.06 yards after contact last season, which would have been a career high for Howard who created 2.74 after contact last season.

However, Howard has a 2.74 career mark after contact which is similar in comparison to Ingram who has a 2.75 career rate after contact.

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The one case for Howard over Ingram is likely a surprising one. Explosive plays. In a down year, Howard had 19 runs go for 10+ yards last season. That was two more than Mark Ingram who averages 18.5 runs of 10 yards or more in his career.

In his rookie year, Howard had 43 explosive runs and the year before he had 32. This is surprising considering the Saints offense and playing on a turf track. You do not think of Ingram as an explosive player but Howard gets into the second level at a much higher rate over the course of his career.

Salary implications

The next question would be how much does Mark Ingram want? The Chicago Bears idea of trading Jordan Howard is because they do not want to give him an extension next offseason.

Their ultimate goal is to get cheaper at running back, not more expensive. The next running back who should break the bank in Chicago is Tarik Cohen after 2019.

Jordan Howard is scheduled to make $2 million next year. While Ingram is an upgrade in the passing game do you really want to pay twice as much or more than that for a player who does not get into the second level at the same rate?

At the same price, Ingram would be an upgrade. However, it would be hard to see Ingram coming at a similar price to Howard, and at that point, you have to wonder if the draft is the better route.

Even if they sign Ingram, they are going to draft running back. Ingram would be in a rotation with that back and Cohen splitting carries. If he wants big money he is not going to find it in Chicago and if he wants 20 carries per game he is unlikely to find that in Chicago.

Mark Ingram could see the Bears offense as a great fit. He could see a winning team and his physical style blending into Chicago weather. If he comes at a reasonable deal he could be a strong option.

Considering he already has a market and is going to have options to join other winning teams, the Bears may be best served using the money elsewhere.