Blount signs with Eagles, ending Mark Ingram trade rumor nonsense

That’s it? An unfounded rumor blew up last week that the Philadelphia Eagles were seeking to swap longtime Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for Pro Bowl running back Mark Ingram. Instead, today NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter each reported that the Eagles would be going in another direction:

Driven by panic of a sudden surgery for Saints center Max Unger that has sidelined him for the rest of the summer, what followed was a confusing and often contradictory discourse on Ingram’s value. Despite the signing of Adrian Peterson and drafting of Alvin Kamara, Ingram is still the lead back and will be a common sight in New Orleans’ backfield. All three running backs are uniquely talented and will coexist.

Anyway, last week Schefter - better-connected than anyone in the NFL media community - jumped on Philly-area radio to address the Ingram situation, essentially explaining that there was no situation:

Let me tell you. Allow me to refute that right now and say that there is absolutely nothing to that. There was absolutely nothing ever to that. I spoke with people in both organizations and both had the same reaction: “We have never spoken.” So I don’t know where that started, and maybe that’d start things up now? I don’t think so, based on the reaction that I got from both organizations, but that was never in the works.

Again, I don’t want to say it’ll never happen, because who knows. Strange things happen. But I’m just telling you there was absolutely nothing to that as of right now. I don’t expect there to be anything to come of that. So that’s where we’re at at that. Is that definitive enough?

And just to put a fine point on the end of this: today, the Eagles signed journeyman running back LeGarrette Blount, lately of the New England Patriots, to a one-year contract worth up to $2.8-million. Blount is one of the NFL’s bigger running backs at 250-pounds, and was an effective short-yardage back last year; he led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns.

Thanks to an obscure loophole and free agency tender offer, this signing qualifies the Patriots for a compensatory pick in the 2018 NFL Draft (because of course it does. Stupid perfect Patriots).

But for our purposes, Blount signing with Philly firmly shuts the door on any immediate possibility of Ingram being traded.

As for Ingram? Well, his Wednesday was almost-as-eventful. We’ll let him explain what went down with his air-conditioning repair man himself: