Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White believes Falcons could have been playoff team

The Atlanta Falcons have turned the page on Roddy White and his role with the Falcons. White had clearly become phased out of the offensive game plans and had lost a step or two.

With that in mind, the Falcons made the decision this past offseason to cut the talented wide receiver and move on. That does not mean that they parted ways amicably however as Roddy White has continued to share his feelings about the coaching staff and the way his role was handled this past season. His most recent comments follow:

"“They had a role for me coming into the season, and I feel it wasn’t told to me prior to the season,” White shared, via CBS Atlanta. “I’m completely fine if someone sits me down and says ‘This is what we want you to do’, but I didn’t get fully where they were going with me. After that I sat down with Kyle (Shanahan) and I thought things would change, and they didn’t change.“Being released wasn’t a bad thing for me, because I wasn’t going to be on that team and accept the same role the following year, or then I would have self-destructed around there. I would have went crazy if I would have had to go through that another year. I can’t play football like that, I was miserable.“A lot of times we had opportunities to win games, and I wasn’t put in that position to make that play, and I felt like we lost those games because I wasn’t in put in that position to make that play. And I felt like if I was, then we would have been in the playoffs. That’s my side of the story.”"

White obviously still has some hard feelings due to the way he was used in the offense and the decision to cut him this offseason.

While this is obviously a bit of bitterness talking it is also fair to take a look at White’s side of things. He has given his best seasons to Atlanta and been a presence and leader in the Falcons’ offense for many years.

To be phased out as quickly as he was and given little opportunity to make the big plays was a confidence blow that he has never had to deal with in his seasons in the NFL.

While throwing the ball White’s way would have done little to make Atlanta a playoff team it is an understandable sentiment from one of the most consistent wide receivers we have seen over the past few years.

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Take White’s statement for what you will. Regardless of whether or not throwing the ball his way would have made a difference in the Falcons’ season, you have to respect the fact he still wants the ball and to be a difference maker for a team.

At this stage in his career he is not going to be the number one receiver on any team. He remains a free agent and has generated limited interest so far this offseason.