GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran receiver Roddy White to a four-year contract extension Thursday that is expected to pay him $30 million.
Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson wants more than that.
Is he worth the $10 million per year he is seeking?
It most cases when it comes to contracts, it's not as simple as comparing player to player.
That's true in this case.
White has been more productive over a longer stretch and has made four Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team compared to none by Nelson.
But it would be tough to argue that Nelson is less important to the Packers than White is to the Falcons.
Consider that other than Randall Cobb, who is entering his fourth season and also is in the final year of his contract, Nelson is the only receiver on the Packers roster with a long-term connection to quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Packers have seen their franchise receiving leader Donald Driver retire and long-time contributors Greg Jennings and James Jones leave in free agency each of the last two offseasons.
If the Packers were to let Nelson leave in free agency next March, it would leave Cobb as the team's most experienced receiver, assuming they are able to get him re-signed.
The Packers don't view keeping Cobb and Nelson as an either-or situation. They believe they will be able to get both players signed to long-term deals before free agency next March and for the sake of continuity in one of the NFL's most prolific offenses, re-signing Nelson -- even at that price -- and Cobb is worth it.
