Roddy White - Pro Football Rumors

Roddy White Wants To Be “Falcon For Life”

October 12th, 2015 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Sunday about the trade rumors that have swirled around him over the last week or so, Falcons wideout Roddy White said he hadn’t heard about anything like that. As D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution details, the veteran receiver said that, despite some unhappiness with his role early in the season, he wants to remain with the Falcons for the rest of his NFL career.

“I’m a Falcon. I’ll be a Falcon for life,” White said. “I’ve dedicated everything I’ve got to this team and this organization. I’m going to continue to do that. I’m going to continue each and every week to get better, be a better football player and try to win.”

White, who turns 34 next month, has seen his usage in Atlanta’s offense drop significantly this season. After earning at least 125 targets in each of his last seven healthy seasons, White has been targeted just 17 times through five games, catching eight balls for 115 yards. After the receiver expressed some frustration with his role in the offense, multiple reports surfaced suggesting that there are a few teams with interest in the former first round pick.

However, Ledbetter reported yesterday that there’s no truth to the idea that White is on the trading block. While Ledbetter’s source denied that the Falcons have even received any calls about the wideout, I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple clubs at least inquired — those conversations would have been brief though, as it doesn’t make much sense for Atlanta to move one of its longtime players and shake things up when the team is riding a five-game winning streak.

Still, if White hopes to play out his contract with the Falcons and eventually retire with the team, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan may have to find a way to get the veteran a little more involved in the team’s game plan going forward. White has two years remaining on his contract after 2015, with cap hits exceeding $6MM in 2016 and 2017 — that’s not a price any team would want to pay for a player averaging under two receptions per game.

Three Teams Inquiring On Roddy White

October 11th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Parks

12:30pm: For what it’s worth, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says there is no truth to the trade rumors regarding White. Said one high-ranking official, “[We’ve] had no calls and most importantly [White] is a Falcon and an important part of this offense.”

8:33am: Three teams are interested in trading for Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Rapoport did not say which three teams have expressed interest, but it makes sense that receiver-needy clubs would be contacting Atlanta about the 33-year-old wideout, whose role in the Falcons’ offense has dwindled significantly this year.

Although his professional career got off to a slow start, White established himself as one of the best receivers in the league from 2007-2012, putting together six consecutive seasons of over 1,150 receiving yards and hauling in 49 touchdowns during that time. His best statistical season came in 2010, when he caught 115 passes for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning First Team All-Pro honors in the process. He was hampered by injury in 2013, but played better towards the end of that season and then nearly hit the 1,000-yard mark again in 2014, making 80 catches for 921 yards and seven scores. Prior to the 2014 campaign, the Falcons reaffirmed their faith in White by extending his contract through 2017.

It makes sense that White’s role in the offense would take a hit as he gets older and as Julio Jones continues to put his otherworldly abilities on display. However, White has become quarterback Matt Ryan‘s third option this season, behind Jones and the surprising Leonard Hankerson. At the moment, White is on pace for just 52 targets, which would easily set a new career low.

As trade rumors have picked up steam, White has said all the right things, indicating that he has no complaints as long as the team is winning (although he did naturally concede that he would like to see more passes thrown in his direction, and it has been reported that White would not be averse to a trade). Plus, any potential deal for White would be complicated by the extension that he signed last summer. White is slated to earn $5MM this year, and the Falcons would likely be unwilling to eat any of that salary, considering how much of a weapon White represents (indeed, no other club has a receiver of White’s caliber matching up against the third-best corner on opposing defenses). But teams are doing their due diligence just in case, with Carolina and Baltimore looking like two of the most likely landing spots if the Falcons ultimately decide to pull the trigger.

NFC Notes: Roberts, Saints, Ebron, 49ers

October 7th, 2015 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

Responding to a suggestion from Peter King of TheMMQB.com that Washington wide receiver Andre Roberts could be a logical trade target for the Ravens, Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes that such a deal wouldn’t make much financial sense for Baltimore — or, presumably, any other team. Roberts is guaranteed a $2.75MM salary in 2015, the second season of a four-year contract, which is a significant amount of money for a player who has been banged up and unable to earn much playing time lately. That means Roberts is probably sticking in D.C. for now.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Kai Forbath‘s workout tour continues in New Orleans, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Forbath and Randy Bullock will be among the kickers auditioned by the Saints. Forbath has tried out for several teams in recent weeks, and was said to be the runner-up for clubs like the Texans and Eagles.
Lions tight end Eric Ebron tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (all Twitter links) that it could take up to three weeks for him to recover from the knee injury he sustained on Monday night, but he’s relieved that it won’t require surgery.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t spoken to Roddy White yet about the receiver’s desire for more touches and a bigger role in the offense, but stressed that White is an important part of the team moving forward, says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Coming off a 17-3 loss, the 49ers trading an offensive player for a defensive player – as the team did yesterday – might not make much sense on the surface, but Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks it was a good move.

NFC Notes: White, Forte, Ogletree, Kam

October 6th, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

While Roddy White is happy with the Falcons‘ 4-0 start, and is focused on his No. 1 goal of obtaining a championship ring, the veteran wideout tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that he’s frustrated about not contributing more to those victories.

“For me, at the end of the day, I want to catch passes,” White said. “I’m not out here just f—ing around just to sit around to just block f—ing people all day. It’s not what I want to do. … I’ve contributed to offenses for this franchise for the last nine, 10 years. It always bothers me when I go out and don’t catch any balls in a game because it hasn’t happened in so long.”

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) speculates that White wouldn’t be averse to a trade, and adds that there are teams that would have interest in determining the receiver’s trade value. That’s not how I interpreted White’s comments though, and I’d be pretty shocked if Atlanta seriously considered that option — I think it could just be a matter of getting the longtime Falcon a few more looks going forward.

For what it’s worth, White told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s not “disgruntled” — he simply wouldn’t mind a bigger role on offense.

Here are some more Tuesday odds and ends from around the NFC:

Appearing this morning on The Dan Patrick Show, Bears running back Matt Forte was asked about the trade rumors swirling around him, and said he’s not worried, adding that “a lot of it is media speculation.” Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk has the details, along with the quotes from Forte.
We heard on Sunday that Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree‘s 2015 season could be in jeopardy due to a right ankle injury. Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Ogletree underwent surgery and it went well, but St. Louis has yet to announce a potential timeline for his return — don’t expect him back anytime soon though, says Anderson.
Following Kam Chancellor‘s crucial forced fumble in Monday night’s win over the Lions, Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett interrupted Chancellor’s post-game interview to implore team owner Paul Allen – the “17th-richest man in the world,” according to Bennett – to give the star safety a new contract (Twitter link via Matt Miller of Bleacher Report). Chancellor appears unlikely to negotiate a new deal until after the season, but I’m sure he appreciates the support from his teammate.
Cardinals running back Chris Johnson admitted that he seriously contemplated retirement earlier this year after getting shot in the shoulder, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com details.
In the wake of the Dolphins’ decision to fire Joe Philbin, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that owner Jerry Richardson has assured him he wouldn’t fire him in the middle of a season, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Of course, with the Panthers riding a four-game winning streak, it doesn’t look like that’s something Rivera would have to had worry about in 2015 anyway.

NFC South Notes: Roddy, Brees, Brindza

October 4th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Falcons receiver Roddy White is the franchise’s career leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, but his role in their offense has dwindled significantly this year. White finished without a catch in Week 2, which snapped a streak of 130 straight games with a reception. He also went catchless in Week 3 and was quiet again Sunday, grabbing two passes for just 8 yards in Atlanta’s 48-21 drubbing of the Texans. The 33-year-old isn’t upset about his nearly nonexistent production, however, as the Falcons are 4-0.

“No complaints from me. We are winning. We’ve just got to continue to do what we’ve been doing and try to get better every week,” White said, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Injury Update: 8/23/15

August 23rd, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Here’s the latest on the injuries suffered during this weekend’s preseason games…

Falcons wideout Roddy White is scheduled to have a “minor procedure” on his elbow, but Andrew Hirsh of AtlantaFalcons.com reports (via Twitter) that the veteran should be ready for the start of the season. Vaughn McClure of the ESPN.com notes (on Twitter) that White isn’t a fan of surgeries, so there must not have been any other options.
Bills coach Rex Ryan doesn’t expect cornerback Leodis McKelvin to end up on the physically unable to perform list, tweets Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. This would be an indication that the former first-rounder would be ready sometime in the first six weeks.
Saints wideout Nick Toon is expected to miss two to three weeks with a high-ankle sprain, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com. The suggested recovery time would mean Toon could miss the team’s opener.
Jaguars receiver Arrelious Benn fractured his collarbone, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union says the 26-year-old is set to have surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link).

Contract Details: Nelson, Reynolds, White

July 29th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With a number of veteran free agents signing deals recently, and others being extended, the latest contract details have been a little more complicated than the usual minimum salary contracts we’d seen over the last few weeks. With that in mind, here’s a roundup of a few of the latest specific figures to surface:

Over at the National Football Post, Aaron Wilson provides a year-by-year summary of Jordy Nelson‘s new extension with the Packers, which averages $9.7MM per year in new money and features an $11.5MM signing bonus.
Garrett Reynolds‘ minimum salary benefit contract with the Lions includes a $15K signing bonus, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

Details of Roddy White‘s extension with the Falcons have emerged, and, unsurprisingly, the deal doesn’t look quite as lucrative as initially reported. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (all Twitter links), White’s new four-year contract has a base value of $23MM, which means there’s $18MM in new money on the three-year extension. The pact also features a $7.55MM signing bonus and $8.5MM in escalators which could push the overall value to as high as $31.5MM. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap has all the details in chart form.
We heard last week that Tyson Clabo‘s new two-year deal with the Texans is worth $2.4MM, and now Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the breakdown of the specifics (via Twitter). Per Wilson, the contract includes annual base salaries of $900K, a $200K signing bonus, roster bonuses worth up to $80K ($5K per game) in 2014, and roster bonuses worth up to $320K ($20K per game) in 2015.
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) clarifies that the Seahawks can now recover up to 15% of the prorated portion of Marshawn Lynch‘s signing bonus, rather than the entire thing. That means the team could go after $225K of the bonus, rather than $900K.
The 49ers can do the same thing with Alex Boone‘s contract, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group details. 15% of Boone’s prorated signing bonus works out to $51K.

Extra Points: McClain, Nicks, White, Johnson

July 25th, 2014 at 10:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Recently-acquired linebacker Rolando McClain is expected to make his team debut at the Cowboys walkthrough on Saturday. McClain was tardy because he was in court in Alabama, where he was found guilty of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct stemming from an April 2013 incident (via John Breech of CBSSports.com). The 25-year-old has been sentenced to 18 days in jail, but his lawyers have filed an appeal.

According to ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys were aware of the trial when they acquired the 25-year-old from the Ravens earlier this month. Even with a potential jail sentence, the team’s executive vice president didn’t sound overly concerned.

“We’ve got to learn a little more about it, but I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to keep him from playing,” Stephen Jones said.

“I had a great visit with (Ravens general manager) Ozzie (Newsome), very comfortable with what he’s been through. That’s why we decided to make the decision we did.”

Let’s look at some assorted notes on this Friday evening…

Following the release of guard Carl Nicks, ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas writes that the Buccaneers are in rough shape at the position. The team currently has Patrick Omameh, Oniel Cousins, Jamon Meredith and rookie Kadeem Edwards competing for the starting left guard gig and Yasinskas guesses that the team will be monitoring the waiver wire for additional depth.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap points out (via Twitter) that Nicks will count $2.357MM against the Buccaneers cap in 2014 and $4.714MM in 2015.
The Falcons extended wideout Roddy White yesterday and the veteran reiterated that he always wanted to stay in Atlanta. “There is where I always wanted to be,” White said (via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). “You hardly ever see players nowadays being with a team this long, so it was important to me to get the deal done. When we got it done, I was so happy that I’m going to be here for the next couple of years. Hopefully we can go out there and win a Super Bowl.”
The Falcons waived wideout Darius Johnson earlier today, and ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure tweets that the player had “had enough” with football and intends on coaching at his alma mater, SMU.

Falcons Extend Roddy White Through 2017

July 24th, 2014 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

8:37am: White will get $10MM in guaranteed money on his new deal, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

8:19am: White’s new deal actually only includes three new years, rather than four, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). That means he’ll be locked up through 2017, and his new deal looks much more comparable to Marshall’s three-year, $30MM extension.

8:03am: The Falcons and Roddy White have agreed to terms on a four-year extension that will keep the wide receiver under contract through the 2018 season, the Falcons announced today in a press release. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter first reported (via Twitter) that an agreement was in place, adding (via Twitter) that the four-year deal will pay White up to $30MM, including $18MM in the first two seasons.

We heard back in May from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that a new contract for White was expected to be in place by the time training camp got underway. Talks between White and the Falcons were temporarily put on hold, allowing the wideout to mourn his half-brother Tyron Moore Jr., who was fatally shot on May 17. However, it appears the two sides later returned to the negotiating table to work out a deal that should allow White to retire as a member of the Falcons.

White, who turns 33 in November, had a string of six consecutive seasons with at least 83 receptions and 1,153 yards, but was slowed by injuries in 2013, and totaled just 63 catches, 711 yards, and three touchdowns. The new contract is a signal that the Falcons believe he can bounce back in 2014 and beyond, acting as one of the league’s best number two receivers opposite Julio Jones.

Reggie Wayne‘s three-year, $17.5MM deal and Brandon Marshall‘s three-year, $30MM pact had been cited as points of comparison for White’s new extension. While the longtime Falcon got an extra year, it looks like his contract falls somewhere in the middle of the two overall, though he’ll earn just under $11MM in 2014, per Rapoport (via Twitter). We’ll have to wait on the full details of the agreement to determine how likely White is to earn the entire $30MM available on his new deal.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank expressed optimism earlier in the offseason that White and Jones will spend their entire careers in Atlanta, so the team figures to eventually shift its attention to an extension for the younger wideout. Jones, a former sixth overall pick, is currently under contract through 2015, after the Falcons exercised his fifth-year option for that season. As such, extension talks for the 25-year-old may not heat up until after the 2014 season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

NFC Links: White, Packers, Cowboys, Giants

July 15th, 2014 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After watching the division-rival Saints lock up one of their longtime pass catchers earlier today, the Falcons would be wise to do the same with one of their own veterans, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who suggests the time is right for a Roddy White extension. White is coming off a down year in which he battled injuries for much of the season, but he hopes to play three or four more years and wants to retire as a Falcon, so signing him to a new deal with $8-10MM in guaranteed money seems reasonable, says McClure.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Johnathan Franklin‘s unexpected retirement due to injury could open up a spot in the Packers‘ backfield for a handful of roster hopefuls, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
Former Cowboys second-round pick Bruce Carter isn’t necessarily viewed as the core piece he once was, but he could regain value with a big contract year, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
In a separate ESPN.com piece, Archer examines the Cowboys‘ depth chart at safety, suggesting that adding a veteran to what appears to be a thin group is a possibility for the team.
Several jobs should be up for grabs for the Giants in training camp over the next few weeks, says Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, identifying tight end, left tackle, fullback, and second receiver as some spots where competitions could play out.