Roddy White Wants To Be “Falcon For Life”
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
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 South Notes: Falcons, White, Saints
Here’s a look at the NFC South..
NFC Notes: Roberts, Saints, Ebron, 49ers
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
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.
Falcons Place Devin Hester On IR-DTR
The Falcons have placed wide receiver and return man Devin Hester on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, the team announced today in a press release. The move will sideline Hester, who is battling turf toe, for at least eight weeks, making him eligible to return for Atlanta’s Week 13 game against the Buccaneers.
“We have been trying to treat his toe injury the best we could, and he has been doing everything in his power to get back on the field, but at this point we think this is the best plan of action,” head coach Dan Quinn said of Hester. “We are confident this time will let Devin get healthy and be a big contributor to this team once he is back on the field.”
Hester, who turns 33 next month, earned his fourth Pro Bowl berth last year in his first season with the Falcons, after leading the league in kick return yardage and punt return average. However, his toe injury has prevented him from seeing any regular season action so far in 2015. Eric Weems has been Atlanta’s primary return man in Hester’s absence.
The Falcons also made several other roster moves today, cutting tight end Mickey Shuler as well. With the two open roster spots, the club signed safety Charles Godfrey and tight end Tony Moeaki. Both Godfrey and Moeaki had recent stints in Atlanta, as Moeaki was released during the team’s preseason cutdown to 53 players, while Godfrey was dropped to make room for tackle Jake Long last month.
Atlanta becomes the 18th team to use its IR-DTR slot this season, as our complete list shows.
NFC South Notes: Roddy, Brees, Brindza
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.
More from the NFC South:
- Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who missed last Sunday’s loss to Carolina with rotator cuff and shoulder capsule injuries, will play tonight against Dallas and is close to full strength, head coach Sean Payton believes. “I’d say fairly close (to 100 percent) or we wouldn’t play him,” said Payton, per Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. “He’s had a good week. I know he’s got a lot of confidence in what we’re doing and a lot of confidence in his ability to throw it down the field. It really was that simple.”
- Brees elaborated on his health issues (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett): “Basically what the doctor told me was the cuff muscles at times will just shut down if they’re inflamed. They’re basically telling the body, ‘I’m injured. I need time to heal, I’m not going to work until the inflammation goes away.’ It wasn’t a pain thing. I mean, it hurt, but that wasn’t the issue. It was just functionality. I did strength exercises all last week. The tough part was with the balance between resting it, getting the inflammation out of it and, at the same time, strengthening it.”
- Buccaneers rookie kicker Kyle Brindza has had back-to-back miserable weeks, going just 2 for 7 on field goal attempts and 2 of 4 on extra points. He hit 1 of 3 field goal tries and missed a PAT in Sunday’s 37-23 loss to Carolina. For what it’s worth, though, head coach Lovie Smith stuck by him after the game. “We’re not going to start kicking people off in the press conference after the game,” Smith said, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Bears, Falcons, Foster
While some observers may view the Bears‘ recent moves as a sign that the team is rebuilding and looking ahead to 2016, a few players think the shake-up could have a positive effect on this year’s team, as Gene Chamberlain of The Associated Press writes. Veteran safety Antrel Rolle suggested the message sent would be beneficial to younger players, while tight end Martellus Bennett expressed faith in the front office.
“I think the organization is doing every single thing possible to make the team better,” Bennett said. “I mean, there’s a lot of hiccups right now, but that’s what happens when there’s a lot of change happening.”
Here’s more from across the NFC:
- The Falcons brought in a tight end for an audition this week, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who tweets that ex-Giant Adrien Robinson came in for a workout with Atlanta. A fourth-round pick in 2012, Robinson caught just five balls during his time in New York, with all of those receptions coming last season.
- Among this year’s first-team head coaches, former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has stood out as a potential difference-maker. Peter King of TheMMQB.com examines what sort of impact Quinn has had so far on the 3-0 Falcons.
- After signing with Washington this week, veteran linebacker Mason Foster is expected to contribute immediately in D.C., according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Foster’s assertion that he “loves” playing special teams suggests that even if he doesn’t see many defensive snaps, his new team could find other ways to use him.
NFC South Notes: Shanahan, Norman, Saints
Here’s a look at the NFC South..
- Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan should be near the top of any watch list for head coaching vacancies at the end of this season, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports writes. Shanahan’s creativity has the Atlanta offense clicking and that’s with a undermanned offensive line. The Falcons are only three games in, but Matt Ryan’s 98.6 passer rating would be his highest since the Falcons’ last playoff season in 2012.
- Panthers cornerback Josh Norman spent the offseason telling people that he’s one of the elite cover men in the NFL. Now, he’s backing up those claims in his contract year, Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. The former fifth-round pick has 15 tackles, five pass breakups, and two interceptions. One of those picks he returned for a momentum-turning touchdown in Week 1 against the Jaguars and another last Sunday that helped seal Carolina’s 27-22 win over the Saints. He’s also forced and recovered a fumble.
- The Akiem Hicks trade marks a failure for the Saints, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com opines. Hicks, he writes, has rare physical talents and with enough patience from the organization, the defensive end could have blossomed into a contributor for New Orleans. Hicks hasn’t done much over the last two weeks or even the last two years, but Triplett is disappointed that a player who once had tremendous potential to become a core player has now been traded away for a reserve tight end.
Falcons Release Tyler Polumbus
The Falcons announced that they have parted ways with tackle Tyler Polumbus. In a related move, Atlanta has signed tight end Mickey Shuler.
Polumbus played under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan with Washington and the two were reunited in May when the Falcons signed the tackle to a one-year deal. However, Polumbus played a grand total of six snaps before his time with Atlanta came to an end. The 30-year-old was Washington’s primary right tackle for the last three seasons, but his services were no longer needed in D.C. this year with No. 5 overall pick Brandon Scherff taking over the position.
Polumbus began the 2014 season as the starting right tackle for Washington, but he was supplanted in Week 8 by Tom Compton. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t crazy about his play across seven starts and eleven total games, giving him a -12.6 overall grade and placing him just 62nd out of 84 qualified tackles. He was much better in the previous year, however, earning a 14.0 overall score and ranking amongst the top 20 tackles in the NFL.
Shuler, 6-4, 247 pounds, was originally selected by the Vikings in the seventh round (214th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was later signed to the Falcons practice squad on September 1, 2013 where he spent the 2013 season. Now, he’ll be with Atlanta’s varsity squad.