Arizona Cardinals to pursue Mark Ingram, Frank Gore?

The Arizona Cardinals are looking for an upgrade at the running back position, and could target either Mark Ingram or Frank Gore in free agency this offseason.

Now that the 2014-15 NFL season is over, it is time to begin focusing on needs for teams heading into the offseason. One team to keep an eye on this offseason is the Arizona Cardinals, who are hoping to add a piece or two in order to make a legitimate run at a championship.

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They were the best team in the NFC for a good chunk of the season, but injuries to both starting quarterback Carson Palmer and backup quarterback Drew Stanton left the Cardinals without a legitimate quarterback for the playoffs.

Andre Ellington is a very solid running back, but he isn’t necessarily the answer in the backfield for the Cardinals.

According to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, the Cardinals could very well pursue free-agent running backs Frank Gore and Mark Ingram this offseason. Both running backs had good seasons for their respective teams in 2014, but they are both looking for new deals this offseason. Gore would be the more intriguing pickup of the two, but Ingram showed a lot of potential last year as well for the New Orleans Saints.

Gore has been considered one of the San Francisco 49ers‘ key franchise pieces for the past few years, but they could choose to go a different direction. He had another solid season this past year, running for 1,106 yards and four touchdowns on 255 carries. Arizona would be happy with a two-back system between Gore and Ellington, as they would compliment each other very well and bring different skills to the field.

Ingram is a very similar type of running back, but has had much more inconsistency throughout his career. He ran for 964 yards and nine touchdowns on 226 attempts this past season, and was a huge part of the Saints’ offense. There are many more concerns about Ingram this offseason, especially as to whether or not he can still have the same type of production if he’s not playing for a new contract.

All of that being said, the Cardinals do need to add another powerful running back to the mix. They have their lightning with Ellington, but they have to find a running back to be their thunder.

Expect to see both of these guys come up in rumors surrounding the Cardinals once free agency opens this offseason.

H/T ESPN

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