The Atlanta Falcons had enough offensive power to make the playoffs in 2014, but their defense was absolutely abysmal. In order for the Falcons to have a shot at making the playoffs again, they are going to need veteran Roddy White to perform well. Given White’s age, the Falcons may only have one or two more years with him before his physical skills begin to decline.

White is 33 years old. He has not passed 1,000 yards receiving in the last two seasons and has had a hamstring injury that has affected his play both years. He managed 921 receiving yards on 80 receptions this past season, but the good news for the Falcons is they do not need White to be a primary receiver.

Julio Jones has emerged as the team’s No. 1 receiver, so he will garner the most attention by opposing defenses. This means White can battle against opposing team’s second-best cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage. These are still situations in which White should flourish despite his age. The Falcons still have Devin Hester and added Leonard Hankerson from the Washington Redskins. Neither of these guys are standout receivers, so it will mainly be up to White to take pressure off of Jones.

White has never been the fastest receiver. He has good speed, but he utilizes his strong route running more than he relies on his speed. White’s route running allows him to be a constant open target, which is why he has had at least 80 receptions in seven of his last eight seasons. It also helps that Matt Ryan is his quarterback.

The one concern for the Falcons is that offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter left for the same position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons’ passing game was at its best during the three years Koetter was in town. Now Kyle Shanahan, who was involved in the poor passing offenses with Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel, will be calling the shots, so it will be interesting to see how White’s game changes with a new offensive coordinator.