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Detroit Lions: The search for Kerryon Johnson’s ideal running mate

By Brenden Armour

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Kerryon Johnson #33 of the Detroit Lions picks up yardage as Ja'Whaun Bentley #51 of the New England Patriots tries to bring him down from behind during the first half at Ford Field on September 23, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 23: Running back Kerryon Johnson #33 of the Detroit Lions picks up yardage as Ja'Whaun Bentley #51 of the New England Patriots tries to bring him down from behind during the first half at Ford Field on September 23, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Mark Ingram

Ingram has been the power aspect of the Saints’ dynamic duo the past two years while being paired with running back Alvin Kamara. Ingram was reliable when running the football and was even involved in the pass game some.

Ingram would be very close to the ideal backfield pairing to go with Johnson. Ingram would give the Lions a prototypical power back that has gone multiple full seasons as the bell cow back for his team. He would easily be able to handle a full workload for multiple games.

He would be able to get on the field without the offense missing a beat. He would be able to handle bulk carries, pass block, and even slip out of the backfield as a receiver on occasion.

This past year he carried the ball a total of 138 times for 645 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 20 balls for 170 yards and one touchdown. He did this while also missing the first four games of the season.

In 2017, in a full season of work with at the time rookie Kamara, he carried the ball 230 times for 1124 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 58 balls for 416 yards. Ingram is, by all accounts, the perfect running back to pair with Kerryon Johnson.

Ingram will be one of the more expensive runners on the market behind premier free agent Le’Veon Bell. His projected market value, according to spotrac.com, is right under four and a half millions dollars per year. That is a price I would be willing to pay for Ingram as I think he would be the best free agent option to pair with Kerryon Johnson.

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