Is trade candidate, Marlon Mack, a good fit for the Atlanta Falcons?

The Atlanta Falcons running game has been off and on throughout the first few weeks of the NFL season. They have done a decent job gaining respectable yards when they do run it, but then Arthur Smith gets in the common habit of abandoning it for the passing game later in games.

Cordarrelle Patterson has been spectacular, Mike Davis has been decent, past those two guys no one has gotten a chance as Wayne Gallman is the only other running back on the roster. So this begs a big question as a result of recent news in Indianapolis.

Could the Falcons be interested in a Colts RB who wants out of Indy?

Before we get into deciding whether Atlanta and Marlon Mack are good fits for each other, you have to understand the situation between Mack and the Colts.

Indianapolis has some talented runners—Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, and of course, Marlon Mack.

Taylor has established himself as the lead back for the team, while Marlon Mack still feels like he could be a lead runner, therefore the two sides have mutually agreed on trading Marlon.

It has nothing to do with how Mack has played, as he has been a great player for the Colts for the past five years. He has amassed 2,399 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns through his time in the NFL.

So this begs the question, will the Falcons be interested in the former 1,000-yard running back?

Thus far Arthur Smith has pretty clearly shown what his favorite type of running back is—the power runner.

Mike Davis was one of the first signings by the team, then guys like Wayne Gallman, Caleb Huntley, and Qadree Ollison have stuck around the team. All of those guys will run through you, not around.

While Cordarrelle Patterson has been the best runner for Atlanta, it is still obvious that Smith loves himself power in the run game. This is not the type of player Mack is, he is a patient—almost Le’Veon Bell-type runner. He has great burst, will occasionally show power and a stiff arm but he certainly does not have a comparable skillset to a guy like Mike Davis.

So, will Atlanta look at pursuing Mack to add to the backfield? Probably not, if we are being honest.

He is just not the type of runner that Arthur Smith has prioritized this year.

The only way you can see it happening is if Cordarrelle Patterson’s great play has dissuaded Smith from the power runner and more towards a quick runner, or if there is a very unfortunate injury to the backfield for Atlanta.

Past those two scenarios playing out, there is little chance that Terry Fontenot makes a run for the talented Colts running back, no matter the cost.