Michael Smith

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Michael Smith has news for anyone who thinks the battle for lead ball-carrying duties will boil down to a fight between incumbent LeGarrette Blount and first-round draft pick Doug Martin.

"I look at it very differently," said Smith, a seventh-round pick out of Utah State who declared himself a contender following the first round of rookie training camp workouts Thursday at One Buc Place.

"Others may see it (as a two-man race), but I'm not out here just to be a third-down back. I'm going to be out here working and (looking) to start, to play immediately and to make an impact on the team."

Smith will likely start the season behind Blount and Martin, no matter what his expectations are. But should one of them go down, he looks like he could be the lead candidate for the RB3 spot on the Bucs. While he's not worth drafting in normal leagues at the moment, he certainly could be someone to pick up if there's an injury.