Contract talks not going well for White

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Offseason negotiations on a contract extension for Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White have not gone well.

“We’ve had a series of discussions with Roddy’s representatives,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “Those discussions are ongoing right now. That’s all I care to say. Hopefully, we’ll come to an agreement some time in the future.”

The Falcons are set to open training camp Saturday.

White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, had “no comment” about White’s situation or the possibility of a holdout.

Last season, the Falcons reached contract extensions with wide receiver Michael Jenkins and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, sending a message that they wanted to reward their own productive players.

Jenkins received a four-year contract worth $20 million. Babineaux received a five-year contract for an undisclosed amount.

White, who was drafted 27th in the first round of the 2005 draft, caught 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns last season and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time. In 2007, he caught 83 passes for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns as the team went 4-12.

White is set to make $2.28 million on the last year of his five-year contract.

The market for high-level receivers increased recently when Green Bay completed a three-year, $27 million extension with Greg Jennings.

Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald has the highest average annual salary of wide receivers at $10 million. Tampa Bay’s Antonio Bryant received the team’s franchise tag and is set to make $9.88 million this season.

Other top receiver salaries include, Buffalo’s Lee Evans ($9.3 million), Seattle’s T.J. Houshmandzadeh ($7.8 million), Dallas’ Roy Williams ($7.8 million) and Houston’s Andre Johnson ($7.5 million).

White’s position is that he could suffer a career-ending injury, and there are no fully guaranteed contracts in the NFL. He said during the offseason that he wanted to have his contract situation resolved before the season started. What wasn’t clear was whether White meant the start of training camp or the start of the regular season.

However, the Falcons are under no duress to complete an extension. White is under contract for the season and could become a restricted free agent for one year because the NFL owners opted out of the collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA, the player’s union, and could face “uncapped” salary requirements next season. White would lose the leverage that comes with entering unrestricted free agency when his contact expires.

“Roddy has taken care of business,” Dimitroff said. “He is obviously a very talented football player. He definitely fits into that category [with Jenkins and Babineaux as players they want to reward].”