No. 3: Texans Running Back Mark Ingram
No, the Texans didn’t bring aboard 31-year-old veteran running back Mark Ingram to be a bell-cow rusher. If anything, David Culley is going to be looking at other running backs like David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay to capitalize on the successes they each had earlier in their respective careers.
Still, this doesn’t mean Ingram lacks importance.
Ingram, who was pushed out of the limelight with the Baltimore Ravens last year to the tune of just 299 rushing yards, worked with Culley the previous two years in Baltimore. And it’s not uncommon for first-year head coaches to bring aboard players from their previous systems to help acclimate other players to what’s expected.
This probably helps explain a good deal why Ingram was an offseason free-agent target.
Another reason, though, is Ingram has proven to be a winner for a long, long time, including three Pro Bowl appearances and seven playoff games played.
A young team going through a rebuild needs veteran leadership, and there’s little questioning how Ingram can provide it.
Even if Houston doesn’t plan on having Ingram as a long-term part of its future.