The New Orleans Saints' top wide receiver Brandin Cooks returned to practice Saturday.

Running back Mark Ingram is sitting out practice Saturday.

Cooks was out Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, Ingram was out Friday after getting dinged up on Thursday.

Saints running back Mark Ingram and WR Brandin Cooks sitting out practice Friday.

The story said Ingram was limited in team drills Thursday, and clearly, the team wants to give him some time to recover from his ailment.

Coach Sean Payton declined to discuss Brandin Cooks’ injury, saying he won’t discuss daily injuries in training camp. The third-year receiver appeared to get dinged late in Wednesday’s practice, but did not leave the field with trainers.

According to the story, a league source said Cooks was just sitting out as a precaution. Obviously the Saints need a healthy Cooks this season, as the former first-round pick emerged as their top playmaker last year.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks was in pain at the end of Wednesday's practice after cornerback Delvin Breaux fell on top of him.

Apparently, the pain was serious enough to hold Cooks out of practice Thursday.

No other specifics were given but we could learn more after practice today.

Nick Underhill on WR Brandin Cooks:

I would set the floor at 1,200 yards. I think he could even flirt with 1,500 if he has a couple big games. I think that having other weapons like Michael Thomas and Coby Fleener should help open things up for him. Fleener is a guy that can draw safety help, and Cooks was almost unguardable last season against single-high coverage. If that remains true, Cooks should be freed up for a few more shot plays.

1,200 yards would push Cooks into WR1 territory in both formats. The Saints spread the ball around, and the last receiver to crack the 1,200-yard mark was Marques Colston in 2007. Jimmy Graham cracked it twice in five seasons.