New England Patriots: Why They Should Target Mark Ingram in the NFL Draft

The Pats need Mark Ingram to have the stud running back they haven't had since Corey Dillon.

This time, the Pats would have the stud in his prime and be the Super Bowl favorites again!

The NFL cliche is the best defense is a good offense. The Pats have everything but the stud running back in place to do this, in order to score and keep the other offense off the field.

The Pats have stockpiled the best group of draft picks and have been in that position for a number of years now. They hit the trifecta last year with great picks that gave the Pats the defense of the future, and not a bad one for last year.

The news has come out that Tom Brady has been struggling at the end of a few seasons due to injuries. Brady doesn't have that many prime years left and the Pats aren't going to get another one of him.

Baltimore didn't get another Unitas, Denver another Elway or Dallas another Aikman.

Why should the Pats be different?

Now is the time to trade up to take the load off Brady and the Pats defense. The Law Firm and Woody are terrific. Adding the stud RB will make them better, let them be better rested as the season moves on and give them three solid RBs should one get injured, which is pretty probable in the NFL.

What about the great pass rusher the Pats would pass up? They have an evolving defense that could use another year of seasoning as a group. They also have a late-20s pick and first pick in the second round to get a very good pass rusher.

The ghost of Maroney haunts Pats first round thinking. Maroney was OK, just not great.

Ingram will be better and could be great.

Ingram will have so many good players around him, all the weight won't be on him. He can be allowed to relax a bit, mature and develop. The Pats should get an Ingram before Tom is on the decline stage in his career. Tom already has foot and shoulder problems, and probably more.

This is the time to step up, roll the dice, overpay and get the stud. The Pats let Curtis Martin get away. Even if Ingram isn't the stud, he will be good enough.

With the Pats coaching and a solid team not putting all the weight on him, he'll have time to develop too.

This is the time, this is the place, to pull the trigger. As great generals say: "Positioning and strategy is important; but pulling the trigger can be more important."

The Pats are in that place.

It will make for a much more fun team to watch. Ingram can help keep the other defense on the field so the Pats defense has less to do. And with some two and three RB sets, with them in slot and other positions, that would surely take the heat off Brady and put it squarely on the other defense, as the Pats would keep them on the field—and the other offense off. it's a win-win.

It would be another great Pats season and perhaps their best ever.