Much of the off-season talk surrounding the Falcons has been focused on the offensive and defensive lines. The thought has been that - in order for the team to bounce back - we need to protect our QB and get to the opposing one. Lost in that shuffle, though, is the importance that receivers can have in protecting a QB. When you have a great route running receiver who has chemistry with your quarterback, you make it a point to keep them around - and thankfully, with Roddy White, the Falcons did just that.
With that, we finally have some details on Roddy White's contract (per Over The Cap), and a quick review of the numbers suggests a contract that is good for Roddy, but is also team-friendly.
First, let's clarify one point: the contract is a 3-year extension, so it takes Roddy out through the 2017 season. There's been some confusion over this recently.
Here are the particulars of the contract:
Year | Base Salary | Prorated Bonus | Roster Bonus | Cap Number | Dead Money | Cap Savings if cut |
2014 | $3,000,000 | $3,202,500 | $0 | $6,212,500 | $8,865,000 | ($2,662,500) |
2015 | $2,200,000 | $1,887,500 | $1,500,000 | $5,587,500 | $5,662,500 | ($75,000) |
2016 | $2,750,000 | $1,887,500 | $1,500,000 | $6,137,500 | $3,775,000 | $2,362,500 |
2017 | $3,000,000 | $1,887,500 | $1,500,000 | $6,387,500 | $1,887,500 | $4,500,000 |
Roddy received a $7.55 Million dollar signing bonus, which is the only fully guaranteed money in the contract. His roster bonuses each year are a combination of making the 53-man roster, along with gameday active roster bonuses. He also has salary escalators built into the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons based on his on-field performance - up to an additional $8.5 Million. Go to overthecap.com for more on the particulars.
What does this mean for the Falcons?
For the team, the 2014 cap space is virtually unchanged - remaining at about 9 Million in free space. The cap hits over the next few years are very reasonable for a receiver who has been mostly healthy and a high producer most years. With the retirement of Tony Gonzalez, it was imperative that the second most trusted 3rd down option for the team was retained.
As it stands right now, the 2015 cap space - if the cap is raised to 140M (the number OTC uses) - will be just under $22 Million, which should be more than enough to give Julio Jones a long-term deal. That $22M does not include the 9 Million we currently have free, so it could be higher if we don't use it this year.
As for the value of the contract, it compares favorably with the contract recently given to Brandon Marshall. While Marshall is a couple of years younger, his deal was for 4 years, $40 Million - with base salaries of $7.3 and $7.5 Million over the next two years and $18 Million guaranteed. Based on production, Roddy's contract makes a ton of sense when compared to the Marshall deal.
Additionally, the Falcons can get out of the deal as early as 2016 with some cap savings. While it's not likely, should age cause issues with performance, the team is not strapped down to a deal that kills their ability to move on. Even if cut in 2015, the Falcons will still only suffer a $75k negative cap savings (though they would carry almost 6M in dead money).
In total, the contract is a good one. There's no reason to believe that Roddy is regressing - in fact, early reports from camp suggest that he's looked as good as ever. Given that his game has never been about top-end speed, his effectiveness in the offense isn't likely to be diminished either. When coupled with his very reasonable cap hits each year, the team - and the player - both got a good deal out of this contract.
So, given the details now available, what do you think about Roddy and his new contract?