Roddy White has been facing questions about his future for the entire season. The veteran recorded one of his worst years with the Atlanta Falcons since getting drafted which has many believing White is set to be released at the start of the offseason. With the Falcons moving on with Julio Jones as the face of the franchise, White has taken a backseat, but head coach Dan Quinn is making it clear that the veteran's leadership and knowledge of the game is why the Falcons need him around next year.
The Falcons have made some coaching shifts this offseason. Raheem Morris will be turning from the defensive side to the offensive side as he steps in as the new wide receiver's coach. The Falcons are relatively young at the position with Jones and White representing the veterans on the team. Quinn believes that White will be a real asset to Morris next season as he knows the "tricks" of the position. All in all, fans can come to the conclusion that White is in fact staying put on the roster.
"Can you learn from players? I think you definitely can. I can also think back to my own time," Quinn said, via ESPN.com. "I went to the Miami Dolphins and Jason Taylor was one of the pass-rushers there. Came in my first year, man, [and] I learned a lot from him: discussing, the teaching, the time on the field together. ... I think the learning, it never stops, man. And I think that's why Roddy's so fired up to roll, too. And he's so jacked to make his mark on the position as well."
Regardless of the future of White, the Falcons need help at the wide receiver position. Quarterback Matt Ryan has expressed his confidence in Justin Hardy and Nick Williams. Ryan told the media that he is planning on offseason workouts with the entire group as he hopes more work with the two receivers will make them more productive next season. However, the Falcons still need a nice No.2 to compliment Jones. White is good, but not enough to take pressure off Jones.
According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure, the Falcons could chase someone on the free agent market. Drafting another rookie might be nice, but they could take a while to develop like Williams and Hardy. Rishard Matthews, Travis Benjamin, Marvin Jones and Jermaine Kearse are all preparing to free agents. They are perfect No.2 options that should not break the bank for the Falcons. Atlanta would be wise to spend some money at the position should Williams and Hardy struggle again in 2016.
