Was Gollum the Unwitting Savior of Middle-earth?

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Interesting thought. Gollum guarded and protected the One Ring for over 500 years. Then it was stolen by a Hobbit family that foolishly almost allowed Sauron to recapture it. Of course, Sauron would never have known Baggins or Shire if it were not from torturing Gollum - Or Would Sauron have found out another way? If Gollum had not guided Frodo and Sam out of Emyn Muil, through the Dead Marshes, right to the Black Gate, then to Ithilien and then to the long stairway past Minas Morgul, and finally to Shelob’s tunnel ( so what if Gollum was leading them into a trap - intent is not the issue - the results are all that are important), Frodo and Sam would probably have never gotten as far as they did without being caught by any number of Orcs, Easterlings, Southrons, etc. And then Gollum destroyed the One Ring. Certainly Frodo was unwilling to do so right at the very edge of the Cracks of Doom and Sam was unable to convince Frodo that he should throw the Ring into the lava. If Gollum had not fought Frodo, then the Ring would have most likely been reclaimed by one of the Nazgul returning to Mt. Doom. Sure gollum bit off Frodo’s right third finger (not counting his thumb as a finger) but if he did not do so and then slip when he finally regained his Precious we would have had a very different ending in the Red Book (written by Sauron after conquering Middle Earth). While it is true that Gollum had no intent to destroy the One Ring, intent is not the issue. Or is it? In short, was Gollum the inadvertant or unwitting savior of Middle Earth who did more than anyone to destory the One Ring and Sauron? Certainly Frodo "forgiving," Gollum immediately after the Ring was destroyed was appropriate.