“I Will Be Shocked If I See Devin White In A Buccaneer Uniform Again”
January 23rd, 2023Some two weeks ago, internationally-famed JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman said on his podcast Bucs inside linebacker Devin White has played his last snap with the Bucs.
Now count Ian Beckles among the believers.
The former Bucs guard and current popular sports radio personality took to his podcast “In the Trenches” and believes Devin White won’t take the field at The Licht House as a member of the Bucs again.
Beckles had more than a few things to say about White.
“I was definitely not a fan of the way Devin White was acting,” Beckles said. “I don’t know why anyone would be a fan of the way he was playing. And that goes back to last year in that one game when he was running around like he was on mushrooms at the mall. I still don’t understand what he was trying to do.
“A couple of times this year I was watching Devin White, I don’t think he remembers where he was at. When you are aggressive you have to be aggressive all the time, Devin. And Devin is a flashy guy who makes some flashy plays. Overall he is not a technical football player. Reminds me of Kwon Alexander.
“You put K.J. Britt in there and all of a sudden you look better. Not because K.J. Britt is a good football player but because he is more technical. He is more sound.
“For Devin White to be a healthy scratch, it’s the beginning of the end. That’s it, it’s over. … That marriage is over. I will be shocked if I see Devin White in a Buccaneer uniform again unless K.J. Britt or someone goes down.
“The Bucs are 3-0 without Devin White. It’s hard to say, ‘We need him back.'”
On the Bucs’ win over the Packers: “Well, that was a lot of fun. For the first time I can sit here and say the Buccaneers outplayed their opponent in their house. A lot of times the notes are negative. Whether they win or lose. For the first time, there weren’t a lot of negatives. Did they play perfect? Nah, not even close. Do they need to play better? Yes. We have to applaud what we saw on the football field. Most of it was positive. Most of it. I think we are better offensively than defensively. I said that last week.
Beckles seems to think Bucs coach Todd Bowles is off the hot seat: “If you are going to bring Baker back [and fire Bowles] that’s bad ball. To go to Green Bay at this time of the year when Green Bay needed to win that game makes me at least know that the Buccaneers are fighting for Todd Bowles. Todd Bowles is saving his job.”
Beckles also seems to think the Bucs are bringing back Mayfield: “Baker Mayfield was more of an anomaly [against the Packers] than what he is. We have to understand that. … [Sunday] he played his ass off. Watching that game, he was brilliant. But you have to watch yourself. … He ain’t that bad. You can win with him. … I’m the same way with Todd Bowles.
On the state of Bucs corners: “Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, I don’t know which ones are better. To me, McCollum is playing better than anyone else.”
On the Bucs offense: “You are not a rushing team yet. You are a rushing team when you can run it on anybody. … But they are getting there.”
On ageless wonder Lavonte David: “It was good to see your star players play like stars. Lavonte David was ev-er-ee-where. That’s fun. I have fun watching Lavonte David and what he’s all about. He’s just a smart football player.”
On David Moore: “I thought he was done. I thought he was commenting on the game. That was a misread by Baker Mayfield. It almost went the other way. On the touchdown, tuck it. Tuck it. Tuck it. Tuck it away, brother. If that happened six inches before — imagine. Imagine what you would have to listen to. Just tuck it. Bro, just go five yards into the end zone [and celebrate]. Do yourself a favor. What are you celebrated at the three for? What good comes of it? I can tell you what bad happens. You can get stripped or you can fumble. What good can happen? Nothing. Stop doing that. Never again.
Beckles thinks it is nonsense to expect the Bucs to get run out of The Licht House in the first round of the playoffs if the Bucs win the division. “You aren’t watching football then. Every week there are five upsets. Every week. I will tell you this: In the first week of the playoffs there will be three upsets. … Why not the Bucs? Why not?
Summing up the Bucs, Beckles said, “We are seeing a little swag coming.”