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Yesterday I wrote about how tight end Jimmy Graham's potential to bounce back from a "down year" in 2012 might be the greatest reason for optimism surrounding the New Orleans Saints this season. I'd put tailback Darren Sproles in the same boat.

Sproles also fell back down to earth last year after an other-worldly 2011 performance -- in part because of increased attention from opposing defenses, in part because the Saints struggled to give enough touches to all of their talented tailbacks and in part because of a hand injury that sidelined Sproles for three games.

Getting Sproles more involved this year will certainly rank as one of Coach Sean Payton's top priorities as he tries to revive his dominant offense this season.

All three of the Saints' top tailbacks -- Sproles, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram -- should have more productive seasons now that fellow tailback Chris Ivory has been traded to the New York Jets and the team is so focused on improving the run game.

"We knew last year, that wasn't the kind of year that we wanted. So we'll try to get better this year," Sproles said of himself and the Saints' offense. "And it helps that (Payton) is here."

Read more: New Orleans Saints know they need to do a better job of exploiting Darren Sproles' dynamic skill set | NOLA.com

Utah_Saint

I thought the play calling last year was too predictable. It really hurt Sproles and Ingram. Thomas is versatile enough to keep the defenses guessing but if Ingram was in, he mostly ran between the tackles and if Sproles was in, he was probably going out for a screen. Or at least that's the way it seemed to me.

Seer1

If Sean can't do it...

dizzle88

Definitely, we all called it in live chat, Ingram was in - run between the tackles, if we had called a screen to ingram WHOA NELLY...it would have caught the D so off guard it would have gone 80 yards lmao

That and the fact it took us until week 3 vs the chiefs to give sproles his first rushing attempt - which he quickly took 50 yards

Rugby Saint II

I don't know if Payton will keep force feeding Ingram. He may have to earn it in camp this time around by running like Ivory was still breathing down his neck.