Atlanta Falcons: What to expect from Roddy White in 2015
Roddy White has been a big part of the Atlanta Falcons’ offense since he was drafted by the team in 2005. White leads the franchise in yards and touchdowns and just might end up in the league’s hall of fame in a few years.
White played in all 16 games from 2005-2012 before missing three games in 2013 and two games in 2014. White had a stretch of six, 1,000 yard seasons from 2007-20012 and nearly hit that mark in 2014 as well. White is now 33 and is on the decline, so what should we expect from Roddy White in the next couple of years?
White underwent his first ever surgery this week to repair some loose bodies in his elbow and is expected to be back by week one. However, there is always a risk of a setback which could see White sitting out the beginning of the 2015 season.
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The Falcons have an extremely deep set of receivers. Leading the pack is Julio Jones while Leonard Hankerson, Justin Hardy and Devin Hester. This group is more than capable of filling the void of White for the next few weeks and would likely hold it down for the entire season if need be.
Does this speak to the fact that White isn’t needed? Or is the Falcons receiving corps just that good? White will be missed if he doesn’t play. There is no arguing that. Not only is he a great wide receiver, but the veteran presence he brings to a group that is fairly young is very important.
Regardless if White returns for week one or not, his reps will be limited in 2015. He won’t be on the field as much as Julio Jones, but will still get his reps. The Falcons’ receiving corps used to surround White, but that just isn’t the case anymore.
You can expect White to have a decent 2015, but the odds of him having a pro bowl caliber year aren’t very high. With his age and recent injury history, White won’t be involved as much as we are used to seeing. This means guys like Hankerson and Hardy will need to have a positive impact to keep the Falcons passing game elite in 2015.