The Facts: The only thing that stands between Ingram and the Pro Bowl might be his health. Drafted at the end of the first round, Ingram has never rushed for 1,000 yards in five seasons with the Saints, but he's turned a corner the past three seasons. Ingram has averaged 4.5 yards per carry over the past three seasons, establishing himself as an ideal zone runner with his balance and quickness through the hole. But injuries have kept him from putting up the kind of numbers people can't argue about. "I think a lot of people still remember my first few years when I wasn't really as productive as I have been the past few years, and that's for a number of reasons," Ingram said. "I think staying healthy is one of them."
Diehards Line:
Ingram battled turf toe in 2011 and 2013, broke his hand in 2014 and suffered a torn rotator cuff last season. In five seasons in the NFL, Ingram has played the full 16 games once. New Orleans has stockpiled the backfield behind Ingram with veterans Tim Hightower and C.J. Spiller, along with a young group that includes Travaris Cadet, second-year man Marcus Murphy and rookie Daniel Lasco. But when Ingram is healthy, he’s clearly the feature back in this offense, particularly after he established himself as a pass-catching threat last season. When Ingram was available in the first three-quarters of the season last fall, he took 62.6 percent of the snaps. None of the Saints’ other backs came close to that kind of playing time. So yes. Staying healthy is a big deal for Ingram. And his fantasy owners.