Roddy White backs off criticism of role in Falcons offense

Roddy White attempted to downplay critical comments earlier this week when he expressed frustration with his limited role this season in the Atlanta Falcons offense.

“I’m here for one thing, and that’s to win,” White told the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter during a telephone interview after the ESPN report was published.

White reportedly expressed frustration with how his comments were depicted in the original reporting from ESPN and argued he really wasn’t all that upset.

“This is nothing to get mad over,” he said. “I can’t control no plays that are being called in the huddle. All I can do is run the routes I’m supposed to run on the play and do my job. That’s all I can do.”

White’s most recent comments stand in stark contrast to what he said originally that caused the controversy in the first place.

“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 (expletive) around just to sit around to just block (expletive) people all day. It’s not what I want to do.”

So far this season, White has been targeted 13 times in four games, making six receptions for 92 yards, a much slower pace than he’s grown accustomed to throughout his successful Falcons career. He was shut out entirely in Atlanta’s wins over the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, limited to one target total in the two games.

White acknowledges that he understands he’ll get his chances eventually, especially if teams continue to double the red-hot Julio Jones.

“I know that I’m going to get my chances because of how people are going to play us,” he said. “(Doubling Jones is) the only chance that people have in playing us. I’m going to get the ball. I’m not really concerned.”

The Falcons are 4-0 and rolling, so White’s attempts at backtracking indicate he’s taking a team-first perspective . . . or trying to not be the player perceived to be rocking the boat.

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