Eagles running back DeMarco Murray isn’t the only player who wants to have the ball in his hands more often.
Falcons wide receiver Roddy White currently ranks fifth on the team in receptions with six catches through the first four weeks of the season. White, who went without a catch in Weeks Two and Three, averaged more than 76 catches a year coming into this season, so it’s been an adjustment to see his role change in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s scheme.
“For me, at the end of the day, I want to catch passes,” White said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “I’m not out here just f---ing around just to sit around to just block f---ing people all day. It’s not what I want to do. I’ve contributed to offenses for this franchise for the last nine, 10 years. It always bothers me when I go out and don’t catch any balls in a game because it hasn’t happened in so long.”
White said he’s been open, but that quarterback Matt Ryan follows progressions that don’t lead him to White. He was quick to add that he’s not trying to make waves, calling good that Ryan doesn’t go off script and adding that he’ll “bear with it” in hopes that more balls come his way in the coming weeks.
Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie said White has to set his “pride aside” and realize his job is to be part of an offense built around Julio Jones because that’s going to help him get the Super Bowl ring that’s missing from his resume. White says that’s his mindset, even if he wouldn’t mind having the ball a bit more on the road to that goal.
