Vick Ballard Released by Saints: Latest Comments, Reaction

The New Orleans Saints announced they released running back Vick Ballard on Monday.

Ballard, 25, hasn't played a down in an NFL game since the 2013 season, as a torn ACL and a torn Achilles have kept him sidelined.  

He rushed for 877 yards and two touchdowns in the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before being released by the team before the 2015 season and signing with the Saints.

With a loaded backfield that includes starter Mark Ingram along with C.J. Spiller, Travaris Cadet, Marcus Murphy and Tim Hightower, the Saints didn't have a place for Ballard. Don't expect this latest development to discourage him, however.

"I've been training the whole time," Ballard said in late April, per AJ Giardina of WLOX.com. "Once I get back on the field, I feel like it's like riding a bike, you known [sic], you never forget how to ride a bike."

He also spoke about his long layoff from football.

"It was tough, and I can't sit here and play like Superman, like it didn't faze me," said Ballard. "It was a lot of growth, a lot of hurt, a lot of pain. But on the positive side, I learned a lot about myself, a lot about football and things that can facilitate me in being a better player."

Ballard's time away from the game and his injury history are certainly red flags on his resume. But he was a productive player in Indianapolis and should garner another look from an NFL team. 

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