Roddy White Released By Atlanta Falcons, Seeks New NFL Team

Roddy White is no longer with the Atlanta Falcons organization now that he has been given an official release from his contract, according to ESPN. The 34-year-old veteran leaves as the most prolific wide receiver in the history of the Falcons franchise. A diminishing role and difficulties with Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has led to White seeking a new NFL home for the first time in almost a decade.

At one point in time, Roddy White flat out stated that he wanted to finish his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, that was before big contracts and business decisions were involved. As soon as White refused to take a pay cut, the writing was on the wall. Roddy was supposed to count more than $6 million towards the Atlanta Falcons salary cap space this upcoming season, which is a bit high for someone that was the fourth most productive wide receiver on the roster last season.

As is usually the case when it comes to disagreements, there are two sides to the story in the conflict between Roddy White and Kyle Shanahan. Some are siding with Shanahan by stating that the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator had every right to target other wide receivers because White simply could not grasp his concepts. The other side is saying that White did not appear to be fully on board with the offensive scheme, so he didn’t try as hard.

Regardless of the issues with Kyle Shanahan, Roddy White should have plenty of options in the NFL next season. He’s a proven team leader, something that Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn went out of his way to remind people when they kept asking him about the troubles between White and Shanahan. There’s still a very good possibility that White can still be a productive second or third wide receiver in the National Football League, like he was as a sidekick to Julio Jones.

One option for Roddy White is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their new head coach is Dirk Koetter, who was an offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons. Koetter is fully familiar with White and what he can bring to a team. With Jameis Winston having a successful rookie year, it would be a smart move for the Buccaneers to bring in a veteran like White to be his security blanket on the football field.

The Tennessee Titans are another potential option for Roddy White. The franchise has gone through a transformation, with Mike Mularkey taking over for Ken Whisenhunt. Their new offensive coordinator is Terry Robieski, who was once the wide receiver’s coach for the Atlanta Falcons. The relationship between White and Robieski could lead to a reunion, which means that second year quarterback Marcus Mariota would have another veteran that he can lean on.

An intriguing option for Roddy White would be the New England Patriots. The team desperately needed wide receivers this past season. White would provide that depth. Tom Brady is one of those quarterbacks that most NFL players would love to play with. On the flip side, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has long been known to favor veterans who want to win games before they retire from the National Football League.

As of right now, no one knows where in the NFL that Roddy White is going to land. However, the belief is that he will be continuing his professional football career. White still has some football left in him, and it would be a shame if another chance was not given.