What Rachaad White's Signing Means For the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are in the running back market this offseason after officially parting ways with Tyler Allgeier last week. Their long-time backup joined the Arizona Cardinals, creating a need for a new body in the Atlanta backfield.

Replacing Allgeier will be difficult. He was a bruising back who was a model of consistency for the Falcons. Over the course of his 737 career NFL touches, he did not lose a single fumble while accounting for 3,392 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns. Finding someone who can match that production will be next to impossible, but Ian Cunningham and the Falcons’ front office will need to find a back to complement Bijan Robinson.

The Falcons Podcast: Spotify | Apple Pods | WATCH

Since the Falcons drafted Robinson, Allgeier was relegated to a backup role. Despite that fact, he was still very involved in the offense in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Whether they do it in free agency or the draft, Atlanta will need to replace 157 touches from last season.

That is where Rachaad White comes in. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back signed a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders this offseason. His deal is reportedly worth $2 million, but it can increase to $4 million after incentives. He left the Falcons’ division rival this offseason after relinquishing his role to Bucky Irving. In Washington, White will now battle it out with Jerome Ford and incumbent starter Jacory Croskey-Merrit.

Should the Falcons pursue a free agent option, White’s contract should be right in line with what the Falcons could be spending this offseason on a backup running back. Aside from a breakout season in 2023 when he had 336 touches, the former Buccaneers running back has averaged 182 touches, which is right in line with what Allgeier did in Atlanta.

Of the reported contracts, most of the big-name options have come off the board. Atlanta could replicate Allgeier on a White deal with players like Najee Harris, Nick Chubb, Alexander Mattison, or Anthonio Gibson. All of those players are currently on the market (as of this writing) and could play that backup role behind Robinson.

However, those players will all bring some baggage to Atlanta. Injuries hampered Harris, Gibson, and Chubb, while Mattison’s yards per attempt have slowly declined over the last several seasons.

The likely route for the Falcons would be to find their next running back in the draft.

They will be out of the running for any of the higher-end players in this class on day one (no first-round pick) and day two (not enough positional value for them, considering their other needs). However, there should be plenty of value on the third day of the draft, with players like Demond Claiborne from Wake Forest, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton from Penn State, Desmond Reid from Pittsburgh, or Emmett Johnson from Nebraska.

No matter how he comes to Flowery Branch, the Falcons will have a difficult time replacing a player like Allgeier, but, for what it is worth, they did find him in the fifth round of the draft.

Sign up for our free Atlanta Falcons newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest news!