Mark Ingram is staying with the Saints. (Getty Images)

The New Orleans Saints and running back Mark Ingram have agreed to a new contract that will keep Ingram with the team for the next four seasons. The Saints traded up back into the first round (sending their second round pick and the following season's first rounder to the Patriots) to select Ingram with the 28th pick back in the 2011 draft, two years after he won the Heisman Trophy at the University of Alabama. Ingram's struggled with injuries almost every year, but he is coming off the best season of his career. Here are a few things to know about the deal.

1. The money: Ingram signed a four-year deal that pays him $16 million, though as of this writing it's unknown how much of that sum is guaranteed. New Orleans came into the "legal tampering" period as one of just three NFL teams over the salary cap, along with the Chiefs and Patriots. They needed to shed at least $15.8 million in salary (plus whatever Ingram's cap hit winds up being) by the start of free agency on Tuesday, according to Spotrac, though that number does not account for Ingram's deal, the restructuring of receiver Marques Colston's contract or the release of Pierre Thomas.

2. Career production: In his four years with the Saints, Ingram has carried 582 times for 2,426 yards (4.2 per carry average) and 20 touchdowns. He's also caught 53 passes for 288 yards. On average, Ingram has missed 3.5 games per year due to various injuries, while 2014 was the first time in his career he averaged more than 12.5 carries per game.

3. Last season: In 13 games last season, Ingram had 226 carries for 964 yards and nine touchdowns. He had a three-game 100-yard rushing streak midway through the season, the first time in his career he rushed for 100-plus yards in more than one game. In fact, four of his five 100-yard rushing games came during this past season. He finished the year as Pro Football Focus' 12th-highest graded runner.

4. The running back market: Ingram was the 38th-ranked player on our free agent big board, and the third-highest ranked running back. Remaining on the board are DeMarco Murray (7), C.J. Spiller (35), Justin Forsett (46), Shane Vereen (49), Frank Gore (54), Ray Rice (55), Reggie Bush (68), Ryan Mathews (76) and Darren McFadden (85). There are plenty of teams that could be in the market for a back, including Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Atlanta, who each have more than $32 million in cap space. 

Murray and possibly Spiller are expected to command higher salaries than Ingram's $4 million per year average when free agency opens on Tuesday, while Marshawn Lynch already signed a new deal with Seattle, LeSean McCoy was traded to the Bills and Adrian Peterson may or may not stay with the Vikings for next season. It's a crowded free agent market at a position that isn't valued all that highly by the league these days, and that's in addition to the deep draft class at the position. It's entirely possible we could see some depressed salaries for the rest of the available options.