Antone Smith has become one of the Atlanta Falcons' best offensive weapons this season. The running back has emerged from a struggling backfield to be a dangerous threat when given a little room to work with. As result, his workload has increased as has his value on the team and in the league. Currently in the final year of his contract, Smith would like to get paid for his breakout season, but will it be with Atlanta?
Smith currently leads the Falcons with five touchdowns on just 31 touches. In his career with the team, he has seven touchdowns on 39 carries. The unexpected star of the team has low mileage on his legs and knows how to take advantage of opportunities on the field. He is the lone bright spot to a rather disappointing year for the Falcons and now the team must decide what his future looks like.
According to ESPN.com, Smith has switched agents in order to capitalize off his strong year with Atlanta. The running back is currently earning just $730,000 this season and while he is not expecting some kind of high-paying deal, he is expecting to get a solid pay raise either from the Falcons or someone else. According to owner Arthur Blank, Smith is the type of player the Falcons want to keep around for years to come.
"It's incredible to see his performance," Blank said, via ESPN.com. "And it's actually really interesting because I really hadn't paid a lot of attention to it, but he's been to several other clubs in the NFL. You really wonder what it is in a player's career that at a certain point in time, they blossom and they just trigger and go. And he's obviously doing that now. He really epitomizes everything you want in a team player. It's not about self; it's always about team. It's always about doing whatever I can do to contribute."
Smith is picking the right time to excel. The Falcons' backfield is nothing to brag about and will be getting smaller at the end of the year. Steven Jackson will be a free agent and unlikely to return given his two years on the team has been very quiet. Jacquizz Rodgers is also in the final year of his contract. He could see a return to Atlanta as long as his contract demands are relatively low. Rodgers has been hot and cold for the Falcons, but has excelled on special teams which might be reason enough to keep him around. The Falcons would be wise to re-sign Smith simply because of the type of threat he is on offense. If released, he could easily come back and haunt the team in a future game.
