Roddy White and Julio Jones make up one of the best wide receiving duos in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons have certainly benefited from having those two run tandem on the field for quarterback Matt Ryan and certainly hope they continue to feed off each other for many years to come. However, both receivers are due a new contract around the same time which is complicating things in Atlanta.
The Falcons picked up the fifth-year option for Julio Jones which buys them some time before negotiating a max-dollar contract with their former first-round pick. That makes White the priority heading into OTAs and training camp. Currently dealing with a personal matter following the death of his brother, White was not present when Atlanta opened OTAs and negotiations have been put on hold until he returns.
According to NFL Networks' Ian Rapoport, neither side felt comfortable continuing money talks while White deals with a very serious and personal matter, so for now all negotiations have been tabled for the time being. Despite the delay, both White and the Falcons feel extremely confident that a deal will get done before the start of the season. Falcons' owner Arthur Blank told the media that the team has every intention of retaining both Jones and White and they simply just need to iron out all the details.
"We'd love to have them both," Blank said, via ESPN.com. "Obviously, they are at different points in their careers with us. Roddy's 32, if I'm not mistaken. And Julio's a much younger man [25]. We want to see them both have a long career and a 100 percent career with the Atlanta Falcons."
Determining White's deal is a bit complicated considering Jones is expected to be paid like one of the league's best. The veteran saw his string of six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons snapped after suffering several injuries last year. That likely will not play into his contract negotiations, but his age will.
According to Rapoport, White wants a deal that mirrors the contract Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall signed. He received a three-year extension worth $30 million. Marshall is two years younger than White, but their numbers are very similar. The receiver has been the biggest constant for the Falcons since getting drafted back in 2005 which will go a long way in Blank's mind.
With White absent from OTAs and Jones not on the field either, currently rehabbing his season-ending foot injury, the Falcons could be in the market to sign a free agent to help with depth. There really are not too many options at the moment, but more could arise as camp continues. Santonio Holmes is available, as is players like Jermichael Finley and Dustin Keller. Adding an extra body to the roster can only help the team right now.
