Getty The Falcons are a logical trade candidate for a Super Bowl RB.
Running the ball effectively has defined the Atlanta Falcons through six games of the 2022 NFL season. Head coach Arthur Smith’s vision for the offense is bearing fruit for a host of running backs, despite lead workhorse Cordarrelle Patterson being on injured reserve.
Patterson’s absence has led to former undrafted free agent Caleb Huntley and fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier picking up the slack. Even though they’ve performed admirably, the Falcons might feel more confident with a proven running back to keep their groundhog schemes working.
Fortunately, the Falcons can acquire an established runner with Super Bowl experience on his CV. It would mean trading with the defending champion Los Angeles Rams for a back who is unhappy with his current role and remains eager for more carries.
Super Bowl RB a Good ‘Long-Term’ Fit for Falcons
Cam Akers wants out and the Rams are “open to a deal for the right value,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It’s difficult assessing what the right value might be for a player drafted in the second round in 2020, but one who has missed 20 regular-season games since then.
Whatever the value is, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports believes the Falcons should be interested: “Arthur Smith’s squad is sneakily competitive, starting RB Cordarrelle Patterson is hurt, and the depth behind him is mostly unproven. With how much Smith leans on the ground game, why wouldn’t they be willing to take a gamble on Akers as a prototypical back that Marcus Mariota can feed? The move could help them long-term, too.”
It makes sense, not only because Huntley and Allgeier have just two starts and 89 carries between them. They’ve both performed well in limited roles, with Huntley enjoying a season-high 16 attempts during Week 6’s 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
While he turned those 16 rushes into 59 yards, Huntley’s inexperience sometimes showed through, like on this play highlighted by Nate Tice of The Athletic:
Caleb Huntley takes the fool’s gold instead of following his guard. Otherwise this could have been out the gate.
Huntley and Allgeier still have things to learn and they may not represent the future Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot should already be planning for in the backfield. Patterson is 31, while fellow veteran Damien Williams is 30, making age a concern for the Falcons at both ends of the spectrum. Williams is also a free agent next year, while Patterson is only contracted until 2024.
At 23, but with two seasons already behind him, along with a valuable taste of the postseason, Akers is the perfect compromise candidate to become Atlanta’s lead back this year and beyond.
Falcons Right Team for a RB Wanting More
Akers’ relationship with Rams’ head coach Sean McVay is strained over the running back’s workload. Yet the issue hasn’t made Akers a problem behind the scenes, per Rapoport: “Sources say the communication between Akers and McVay has remained cordial, and Akers has caused no problems inside the locker room. But questions about his role, where he belongs and his place in the pecking order of running backs have persisted.”
Akers not becoming a problem will only encourage trade suitors to strike a deal. If he has his pick of teams, Akers would be wise to not look beyond the Falcons.
Smith’s offense is a running back’s dream, with the Falcons keeping the ball on the ground 202 times, the second-highest number of attempts in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta’s 57.22 rushing percentage is second only to the Chicago Bears, per Team Rankings.
Akers could become a star for a coach committed to the run, despite his struggles this season. He’s averaged just three yards per carry, but Akers can still finish with power when he finds the right gap, the way he did against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3:
Cam Akers makes it a two-possession game. 📈 @thereal_cam3
📺: #LARvsAZ on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/Vr11sqlsAh
Missed time is also a concern after a torn Achilles kept Akers out of all but one game in 2021, before he returned in time to play in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While he struggled to get going against the Bengals, mustering just 21 yards on 13 attempts, Akers was much more effective during his first postseason run as a rookie in the 2020 season. He battered the Seattle Seahawks for 131 yards and a touchdown, before rushing for 90 yards, another score and a two-point conversion against the Green Bay Packers:
Direct snap to Cam Akers and he’s IN with authority! #RamsHouse #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #LARvsGB on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: t.co/nMJSN7Rn8Z
Akers needs to be a in a system designed to let his workhorse traits flourish. The Falcons fit the bill and have $8,622,963 worth of cap space to make room for a natural RB1 who would be worth at least a third-round pick in compensation.