Oct 28, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (44) carries for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

With the NFL trade deadline approaching tomorrow, there are whispers of places where players could land. Two of the biggest names listed on the trading block are Rams RB Steven Jackson and Panthers RB DeAngelo Willliams. They are in the middle of rumors because they have large contracts, and while they are still productive, their respective struggling teams could get some value out of them.

I read one interesting piece that linked the Atlanta Falcons with these two running backs. The Falcons have Michael Turner, whose bruising style hasn’t been very productive this season, and offers little as a receiver. They also have Jacquizz Rodgers, a back who doesn’t plow over defenders, but can do some running, and is an outstanding pass protector as well as receiver. The only problem that the Falcons have is they become fairly predictable when each back is on the field. When Turner is on the field, you must account for him running, but you don’t really need to put any really good defender on him in the passing game. Rodgers is less predictable, but he isn’t quite as strong running the football between the tackles.

The Falcons are missing that really complete back that the can put in singleback formations, and both run and throw with equal effectiveness. Rodgers is much more complete, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a back like Williams or Jackson in your lineup?

The answer is you can have a player like that without even trading for him. The Falcons have a tremendous, yet underutilized weapon in running back Jason Snelling. He is very good between the tackles. He has solid speed to the outside. He is a very good size. He has very soft hands, and does well breaking the tackles of defensive backs. Nearly every time his number has been called in this Falcons offense, he has answered the call in an outstanding manner.

As a matter of fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here. Remember how Michael Turner was Ladanian Tomlinson’s backup in San Diego, the Falcons signed him as a free-agent, and rode him all the way to a winning record four years in a row? Well, Jason Snelling could be that player for the Falcons. Yes, he’s a couple years older than Turner was at the time. But he’s a great runner, doesn’t have many touches, and as an added plus he catches the ball well out of the backfield. The Falcons need to use Snelling more. He is a valuable weapon, and can really help this running game, without forcing the Falcons to sacrifice draft picks or finances in the future.

December 15, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) runs out during introductions before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons beat the Jaguars 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

Roddy White has a penchant for making inflammatory comments. Lately things have been fairly quiet with the Falcons wide receiver, but a few days ago he made some comments that seemed bizarrely out of character for him. Here is what White said:  “I know that sounds crazy, but we’ve got other guys out there that can play,” White said. “Julio [Jones] is going to be a big part of the offense this year. Harry [Douglas] is going to do wonders in the slot. We have to maximize our talent and get the ball in everyone’s hands.”

Falcons fans were scratching their heads, and other pundits from around the league were either applauding him for his selflessness or condemning him for not wanting to be the #1 receiver in the Falcons offense. Like most things that Roddy White says, it was completely blown out of proportion, and is not important. I’ll tell you what I mean.

Roddy White is seeing the playbook. He is seeing how talented Julio Jones really is, how Dirk Koetter is planning on using Harry Douglas, that Michael Turner/Jason Snelling/Jacquizz Rodgers will continue to get their touches, and that he will no longer get targeted 150 times a season anymore. On top of just realizing that he will no longer be the focal point of the passing game (which is half of the balance of playing offense), he realizes that it is good for the team.

I think this is probably the most selfless thing that we have seen yet from Roddy White. Nobody has ever accused him of being an awful person, but he has certainly not been without some faults. Early in his career, he did not maintain his weight, ballooned up, and was very unproductive. He took four seasons to realize his full potential. However, now he is taking his team vision further than ever. As he is aging he is gaining in wisdom and understanding the truth that it does not matter as much who is scoring the touchdowns, as it matters that the team is scoring touchdowns. Don’t get me wrong, Roddy White will still get his, and still have around 90 catches for 1300+ yards and 10 Touchdowns, but he is prepared to let others do some of the damage. And that’s just marvelous.