Roddy White Talks About Talks With The Bucs
April 12th, 2017
What could have been
Regular readers here know Joe screamed for the Bucs to strongly consider signing Roddy White last spring and summer.
Call Joe crazy, but Joe had a strong hunch White could have been quality insurance for outside receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.
It never happened. The Bucs preferred Cecil Shorts, Russell Shepard, Josh Huff, Kenny Bell, Freddie Martino (he of the velvet-lined lounge of the Vero Beach Ramada Inn), Donteea Dye, Louis Murphy and Bernard Reedy to help back up Evans and Jackson.
The result? The impotence of the No. 2 receiver role likely cost the Bucs a playoff appearance. And that’s why Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter put a bulls-eye on DeSean Jackson in free agency.
But what about White?
JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman torched Joe publicly for pounding a summer drum for White. Joe even got a tap on the shoulder at One Buc Palace and was told White’s 2015 film was bad and his career was toast. Well, White tells a different story.
During a February podcast with Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, White explained that he indeed heard from Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith and they were very interested in him.
“I talked to them, too, but it was like, once again, they wanted to know like what I wanted to do,” said of talking to Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith. “And they already had two guys. They already had [Vincent Jackson] and they already had Mike [Evans].
So it was like, ‘If Roddy come in, Roddy got to know that he’s not going to be the guy like he used to be.’ And I know that. But at the same time it was like, ‘How happy you going to be being a No. 3 or No. 4 [receiver] not in New England?’
“And the [Bucs] was like, ‘You know, [you’ll] get in on third downs.’ And that would be the only plays I’d be playing. [Koetter] was like, “Are you comfortable playing like 25 snaps in the whole game?’ And I was like, ‘Let me think about that.'”
White explained that he wasn’t washed up and didn’t give up playing after his 43-catch, 16-game season in 2015.
“I did want to play football another year, but I wanted to play, like, I wanted to win,” White said. “I wasn’t going to play football just to be playing it.”
White said Bill Belicheat was calling him and White was “really close” to being a Patriot but New England signed Nate Washington during March 2016 free agency instead.
Somewhat ironically, White claimed former Jason Licht right-hand man Jon Robinson, the Titans’ general manager, was ready to sign White, but White wasn’t sold on the Titans.
“I could have easily been a [Tennessee] Titan, before they actually signed Andre [Johnson in July],” White said. “We was in talks with them and we literally got in contract negotiations. But I didn’t know how good they were going to be.”
White said he worked out five days a week, two hours a day to stay in football shape into October of last season waiting for a team he thought was contender to call him, but it never happened.
Joe doesn’t know White at all, but he sounded relaxed, content and credible. Regardless, Joe finds White’s claims of talks with the Bucs very interesting. Oh, what could have been.
April 12th, 2017 at 9:50 am
Translation: Bucs were losers. No way.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:04 am
Bonzai:
Not sure how you got that at all. Sounds like Koetter was honest with him, and White didn’t want a reduced role. Seems pretty cut and dry.
I’ll take flash.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:10 am
Glad that young guys were able to get snaps over a guy who is a shell of what he once was. And it was a lackluster running game, attributable to a mediocre line and running back, that was really holding this offense back.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:16 am
“What could have been” ???
About 3 below average games, then sent to the IR list, then retired back to the couch to watch December Football like he did anyhow!!!!!
April 12th, 2017 at 10:18 am
It’s like when your girl cheats on you, you’re always the last to know, Same with White. He just talking junk to save face. No one wanted him and he knows it. If he was really wanting to play he would of signed anywhere, he was already used to losing.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:18 am
^^I think both of u guys are right. He didn’t want a reduce role in Tampa because we aren’t contenders, but he would have did it for new england. At least that’s what I got from it.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:19 am
Wasn’t a fan of his anyway
April 12th, 2017 at 10:19 am
Translation: Ego too big to be a role player.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:28 am
The funny part for White is that if he signed with us he wouldnt have had a reduced role because he would have been starting after VJax went down. If we had White on the outside at the end of the season it’s possible that we get in the playoffs, where anything can happen if you get in. He missed the boat.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:30 am
After V-Jax went down, Shorts, etc., there has to be more because even at midseason, this is a guy who would know the offense.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:31 am
Who is roddy white??? Also the position’s of importance on draft night QB✔LT✔DE✔CB✔. When you aquire those which we have you have the flexibility to do whatever you so choose on any particular draft night.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:32 am
These guys have a hard time seeing the light when its there time to leave the NFL. And who did he end up playing for/ NOBODY. That says it all right there. His ego got in the way of being a role player. Thus..Adios Amigos!! Say, its like leaving this world..Everybody got to die..sometime!! Don’t matter if you wanna go or not, when its your time, you will dance with the Grim Reaper.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:35 am
Ah the bad memories! Roddy White catching a pass on Talib and laughing at him. Talib loosing his mind and wanting to fight the rest of the game. Meanwhile White is all in Talib’s head, torching him over and over! Props to Roddy for a great career.
April 12th, 2017 at 10:40 am
Roddy could have been the catalyst to land us in the playoffs. He would have been better than all our receivers not named Mike Evans. With a solid number 2 we might have won 2 more games and made the NFC payoffs last year.
April 12th, 2017 at 11:27 am
I think his statement alone says a lot about Mr. White. He wanted to go someplace where he could win. He didn’t want to go someplace where he had to help the team win. The guy wanted to show up and get a ring and then retire. He’s a carpetbagger with dreads.
April 12th, 2017 at 11:28 am
What a front running *****! How about going in and being a big reason a team is good instead of just riding someone else’s coattails.
April 12th, 2017 at 11:34 am
I’m happy he didn’t think we were good enough for him to be a role player on a good team. He’s an old bum who can’t find work in the NFL. If Cecil shorts stays healthy and doesn’t get his knee blown out in that game I think he would have been huge for us. He really started coming on and would have clearly been the #2 to finish the season. We don’t need another aging WR. Even with d jax we need another playmaker opposite Evans. Trade up into round 2 and take Ross if he’s there. Cook round 1 then 3-7 take def.
April 12th, 2017 at 11:45 am
Joe – I really dig your website and the stories you provide.
I’m also really happy you’re not the GM.
April 12th, 2017 at 12:59 pm
Agree with Joe. If we had a competent WR,teamed with Evans last year, we would have made the playoffs.
Wont ever understand the Bucs refusal to sing a decent replacement- once Vincen Jackson got hurt
April 12th, 2017 at 1:14 pm
Translation for White telling his story from a first person pov: Me wants money and catches equal money, if I’s not in NE where I’ms gonna win a SB and get the attention and money that comes along with that, it’s all about me and the money for any other team.
April 12th, 2017 at 1:23 pm
He hasn’t been the guy he used to be in years. That was some funny reading material. He thought he could still be a 1 or 2 and couldn’t even be a 5 or 6 lol. So glad we didn’t sign him.
April 12th, 2017 at 2:08 pm
RB, WR and a brand new defense were all a problem last year.
April 12th, 2017 at 3:06 pm
sounds like a me first type of player….if he really loved the game, he would’ve played for any team interested in him…..no thanks!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
April 12th, 2017 at 3:18 pm
Roddy White at this point would of been no more than what Cecil Shorts was . White hardly put up numbers in a high passing Falcons offense with Julio on the other side in 15. White was by no means the reason we missed out on the playoff, that was a lack of running game. Licht passed on a washed up undersized receiver for good reason.
April 12th, 2017 at 3:30 pm
Ego and not knowing when to hang them up is what plagues this guy. Hindsight is 20/20 and maybe, or maybe not, he would’ve helped the team. Sounds to me like he’s got too much pride to play a diminished role.
Retire Roddy, it’s all good. He had some good years.
April 12th, 2017 at 3:43 pm
Bonzai says they were losers???
How?
They had VJax, Roddy is the same guy but slower (and apparently not as literate) JUST A JOKE, relax people.
Anyway, if they thought VJax and ME were healthy then there was no point in signing Friday, or at the very least, being completely honest with him and his role, like they were.
They need another WR now and someone under 29
April 12th, 2017 at 4:30 pm
I can’t believe you are still talking Roddy white. Dude is washed up version of a washed up vjack. Koetter basically told him you’re not one who you used to be and it has nothing to do with the guys ahead of him on the roster of had everything to do with him falling off a cliff due to age. I’m glad he didn’t sign and I vote you’re not suffering this slow aged receiver would have put us in the playoffs.
April 12th, 2017 at 4:34 pm
He two year older that VJAX!
April 12th, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Wow, sure sounds like we missed out on a very “intelligent” player if what he said was taken verbatim.