No. 1 pick White ends holdout, signs deal
By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/31/05
Flowery Branch -- The standoff, finally, is over.
At around 1:30 Sunday morning, Falcons' first-round draft pick Roddy White signed a five-year contract worth roughly $7.3 million - his bonus guarantees are believed to be about $4.75 million -- ending a six-day impasse that may have cost him a chance at being considered for the opening-game starter.
White, the 27th overall pick, was the last of Atlanta's eight draft picks to reach contract terms and he reported exactly a week after the rest of his teammates. He is expected to go through his first practice this afternoon and will have two full days of workouts before the team departs Tuesday to Tokyo, where it will face the Indianapolis Colts Saturday in both team's preseason-opener.
The 6-foot, 200-pounder was impressive during offseason mini camps and workouts, raising coaches' expectations that he could challenge incumbent Dez White for the starting job. However, coach Jim Mora said over the past few days that by missing nearly a week's worth of practice, White is too far behind to seriously challenge for a starting role early in the season.
During contract disputes, though, the motivation for pointed or critical rhetoric often is to spur a resolution. All could be forgiven quickly if White arrives in shape and with some grasp of the offense he learned during drills over the summer.
The Falcons already shook up the status quo at the wide receiver position on the first day of training camp by promoting second-year wideout Michael Jenkins ahead of one-time starter Peerless Price. With the season-opener not until Sept. 12, there is plenty of time remaining to establish a pecking order among the wide receivers, Mora said.
The Falcons already shook up the status quo at the wide receiver position on the first day of training camp by promoting second-year wideout Michael Jenkins ahead of one-time starter Peerless Price. With the season-opener not until Sept. 12, there is plenty of time remaining to establish a pecking order among the wide receivers, Mora said.
White's absence from training camp matched that of cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the eighth overall pick last season, who missed the first six days of training camp.
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Not that it will make a differance in this game with the Colts but its good to have the #1 pick signed and over with.