Falcons WR Roddy White agreed to a contract extension on Saturday night. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...lug=jc-whiteholdout080809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns Falcons? White ends holdout By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports 1 hour, 33 minutes ago Buzz up!1 vote PrintAtlanta Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White(notes) ended his eight-day holdout Saturday when he agreed to terms on a six-year, $54 million contract. The pact could have a ripple effect on the hopes of NFL owners to keep salaries down for top players from the 2005 and 2006 NFL draft classes. White is entering his fifth season and faced the possibility of being a restricted free agent at the end of the season because the NFL is expected to go into an uncapped season in 2010 under rules of the collective bargaining agreement. Because of that, White wanted to get a deal done prior to the start of the upcoming season. One agent said earlier this week that a long-term deal for White could open the floodgates for deals for the likes of Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware(notes) and San Diego linebacker Shawne Merriman(notes). ?There were a lot of teams willing to let those guys play it out and really leverage them,? the agent said. ?If White gets a deal done, it?s going to hurt that idea.? White, fourth in the NFL with 1,382 receiving yards last season, is the fifth first-rounder from the ?05 draft class to sign an extension with his original team. The others are Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller(notes), San Diego defensive tackle Luis Castillo(notes), Philadelphia defensive tackle Mike Patterson(notes) and Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes).
Nice patience by Roddy. He earned it, especially after having to put up with Vick's errant throws for three season before Matt Ryan got there.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...DubYF?slug=ap-falcons-white&prov=ap&type=lgns Falcons WR White agrees to contract extension By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer 26 minutes ago FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP)—After holding out for the first week of training camp, receiver Roddy White(notes) agreed to a new contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night. Several media reports said White had worked out a six-year deal worth around $50 million, including $18 million in guaranteed money. He will become one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers, though short of Larry Fitzgerald’s(notes) $10 million-a-year deal with Arizona. White had a career-best 88 receptions and set a franchise record with 1,382 receiving yards last season, ranking fourth in the NFL. He earned his first Pro Bowl appearance while becoming the first Falcons receiver in a decade to post back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and the first in club history to tally back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons. But entering the final year of a contract that would have paid him $2.28 million, the former first-round pick decided to hold out for a long-term deal. He got what he wanted, eliminating the possibility of becoming a restricted free agent in 2010. “We’re always going to be an organization that rewards players that are productive on the field and good citizens off it,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We’re glad to have Roddy’s contract situation resolved. We look forward to a long association with him.” Getting White in camp was a top priority for the Matt Ryan(notes)-led offense, especially after third receiver Harry Douglas(notes) was lost for the season after tearing up his knee during a routine drill. The Falcons signed Marty Booker(notes) and Robert Ferguson(notes) after Douglas went down, but only with backup roles in mind. They’ll compete with Brian Finneran(notes) for the slots behind starters White and Michael Jenkins(notes). White was subject to fines of $15,888 a day during his eight-day holdout. He is expected to be in camp for two practices Monday. Associated Press Writer George Henry contributed to this report.
Yep. Despite that Pro Bowl selection, I'd say he's one of the more underrated receivers in the league. $9 million per for a top 5 receiver. Meanwhile, Mr. Out-of-the-top-30 Braylon Edwards is still looking for $10 million per. Good luck with that.
The falcons have one of the better offenses in the league if key starters can stay healthy. Not sure if their defense can carry them into the playoffs though. Interesting team and one to keep an eye on in a couple of seasons.
