Potential Trade Destinations for Marlon Mack
The Indianapolis Colts and running back Marlon Mack have mutually agreed to seek out a trade according to Tom Pelissero. Mack suffered a torn Achilles in 2020, and he returned to the team this year as the third-string back. He has played just 13 snaps in three games in 2021.
While the market will likely be low for a running back coming off of an Achilles injury, Mack can still bring a team value. He is just two years removed from a 1,091 yard rushing season in 2019.
So in today's piece, I will be looking at four teams that should absolutely inquire about trading for Mack now that he is available.
San Francisco 49ers
The obvious choice among possible destinations is the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers were dealt a pretty big blow early in the season when veteran running back Raheem Mostert was ruled out for the remainder of the season. After a productive week one against the Detroit Lions, the replacement backs have struggled mightily to find success on the ground.
The 49ers obviously wouldn't trade too much for Mack, considering that they just spent draft picks on Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon in the 2021 NFL Draft. Adding a productive veteran player like Mack to that group could make the 49ers' rushing attack a real threat again.
While I'm not sure if the desperation is there just yet for the 49ers, Mack's fit in the offense would be outstanding. His vision and tendency to hit jump cuts would be a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan's zone running scheme.
I absolutely love this fit and I personally think swapping Mack for a mid-to-late day three pick with the 49ers makes the most sense out of any mock trade scenario.
Los Angeles Rams
Sticking in the same division, the Rams have been dealt some terrible injury luck to their running backs this year. Presumed starter Cam Akers was lost for the season in Training Camp, and Darrell Henderson is also dealing with an injury that could sideline him for a while.
This one is a tad tricky since the Rams did trade for veteran Sony Michel earlier in the offseason, and he has looked solid filling in the past game and a half. The main reason why the Rams make this list is because they are in their Super Bowl window. While Michel has been solid, adding a talented player like Mack (who is on a very cheap contract) for a mid-to-late day three pick should absolutely be on the table.
The Rams are pushing all their chips in on Matthew Stafford leading a talented roster to the Super Bowl. If they even somewhat feel like Mack could help them win games, he is absolutely worth a flier. Mack would also fit well in this zone-heavy rushing scheme and would likely provide productive carries to a currently bad rushing offense.
While Michel's presence makes this trade a bit more tricky, I think Mack would be a perfect fit in LA with the Rams and he could be yet another piece in their run for a championship.
Atlanta Falcons
Jumping to the opposite end of the spectrum, the Falcons could use another running back in their backfield. While they aren't a team that is necessarily competing for a playoff spot in 2021, adding a player like Mack to their offense could make it easier to evaluate some of the other pieces on the team.
Head Coach Arthur Smith found a ton of success with the Tennessee Titans when he could rely on the run game and utilize play-action off of it. While Mack isn't near the player that Derrick Henry is by any means, he could provide them with the necessary boost in the run game to help the passing offense.
Mike Davis has been perfectly fine for the Falcons this year, but adding Mack could simply add another dynamic element to the rushing offense. Even for a team that isn't going anywhere in 2021, that is more than worth a mid-to-late day three pick.
Miami Dolphins
Finally making our way to the AFC with this final selection, as the Dolphins badly need to do something in the rushing game. They currently rank as the 10th-worst rushing team in the NFL with an average of just 92.7 yards per game.
Young running back Myles Gaskin has shown some flashes, and adding a sturdy veteran like Mack could only enhance his touches in the offense. The Dolphins shouldn't make a major desperation move to fix their running game, but Mack could be a good low-risk grab for them.
While this trade likely wouldn't happen this week with the Colts set to play the Dolphins, I could definitely see this one being in play. The Dolphins are the type of team that could use a veteran back in their backfield and have the draft picks to mitigate losing a late-round selection on him.
Follow Zach on Twitter @ZachHicks2.
