Beware Of Devin White
March 5th, 2024
Tricky signing.
Hear much about Devin White the past couple of weeks? No? Well, that’s not a surprise.
Joe is pretty confident that White, the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft, has played his final snap for the Bucs. When the new league year hits a week from tomorrow, barring something unforeseen, White will be a former Bucs linebacker.
Why would the Bucs bring a guy back who was benched in the heat of a playoff run? That screams the Bucs are done with him.
Ian Valentino, who runs a scouting service with the NFL, CFL and USFL as his clients, typed a piece for The 33rd Team where he cobbled together a list of free agents who carry the biggest risks.
He has White included in this list and he warns teams to be very careful with White. In short, Valentino thinks White’s tackle numbers are terribly bloated.
Despite gaudy tackling numbers from 2019-22, White has been far from a reliable gap-filler and instead relies on his speed to make empty tackles. His tackle total dropped to a career-low 83 in 14 games played this past season.
At 26, White still has time left on his clock to be a productive player before his athleticism is gone. His best football might be in front of him. But he often leaves the impression there’s more he could do to help the team win.
White isn’t consistently contributing impact plays, with only three career interceptions, an average of four pass breakups per season, and three seasons with 3.5 or fewer sacks. In his incredible 2020 season, which landed him an All-Pro nod, he had 140 tackles, nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss. Since then, he changed roles and his production dipped across the board.
It almost reads like Valentino is suggesting that White is not a team player. That could lead a player to not just be a healthy scratch but benched.
No, unless something bizarre happens, Joe thinks White is wearing a different uniform this fall.
March 5th, 2024 at 4:20 am
I can see him staying in the division and being a bum to okay during most of the season, but then playing like it’s 2020 against our beloved Bucs, because he had delusions of grandeur and the Bucs “screwed him”. Very disappointing to see that most of us either think and or want him to be gone. So much potential.
March 5th, 2024 at 4:58 am
Agree with Leopold. Devin will probably go to another team and be a superstar. He did and does have so much potential.
March 5th, 2024 at 5:10 am
“It almost reads like Valentino is suggesting that White is not a team player.”
.
.
Diva has to be the only LB I have ever seen on the NFL level who acts like he has no concept of pad level. This speaks to his refusal to be coached. Someone else suggested that White is the Jameis of the defense. Spot on.
March 5th, 2024 at 5:34 am
OLB Payton Wilson NC State standout and showed VERY well at combine…. This guy all day and Sunday over Devin White, the dude is fast and plays hard and knows how to sniff out the ball…. I would love to get him and the Bucs would have a heck of a player he’s very good at roaming as well off ball then closes the gap with his speed check out his game stats…
6’4″
238 pds
4.3 forty combine
March 5th, 2024 at 5:50 am
Funny how some of you guys get sentimental once an underperforming player gets the axe. He’ll be a superstar like you said Jameis would be.
March 5th, 2024 at 5:54 am
White should’ve been cut after the Indy game, when he played like he had money on the Colts. That would’ve given more playing time to the guys who were better and actually wanted to play, KJ Britt, Dennis, and JJ Russell.
March 5th, 2024 at 6:01 am
Sucks, always wanted him to ball out here and stay. Take over for LVD. Another all pro backer to add to the lineage. Really wanted him to ball out this year and earn that fat contract
March 5th, 2024 at 6:13 am
devin was key to the super bowl run. he gets props for that. i’ll take a one year firework if it gets you to the promised land. now if he could just get over himself and work harder on his craft..,well those are ifs
March 5th, 2024 at 6:32 am
His reputation will precede him now. I’ll be very interested in how much he’ll sign for with another team.
March 5th, 2024 at 7:03 am
He’ll be a eagle on a minimal prove it deal that’s where he wanted to be
March 5th, 2024 at 7:14 am
Can’t wait for the day when people stop referencing the 40. Real sprinters know it doesn’t mean crap and now people in the league are finally coming around to the reality that it is fugazi. A lot of people now spend months training for that specific run to get their starting technique down which shaves off a couple of tenths to give the illusion they’re world class sprinters. 40 is nothing. There are levels. The guy that ran a 4.21 would lose to Tyreek hill a thousand times out of a thousand in a man’s race like the 100 or 200 and most certainly won’t have the game speed of Tyreek. The graphic of the kid running a faster 40 than Usain Bolt was possibly the dumbest graphic I’ve ever seen. Usaon bolt wouldn’t need to run more than 3/4 speed to beat that kid on a track. Puka Nukua runs a 4.57 but yet there aren’t many people that topped out at almost 21mph in a game. There are many examples of puka. No one ever caught Jerry rice from behind and people act perplexed because he ran a 4.6 or whatever it was. Because the gd effing 40 isn’t a true metric of real speed and game play
March 5th, 2024 at 7:29 am
Payton Wilson is very similar to Devon White. Yes he’s fast but he runs around blocks to make tackles. He’s also very thin framed and gets injured often. This years linebacker class is weak.
March 5th, 2024 at 7:40 am
Would not be surprised if the Patriots picked him up. Lots of cap space to take a chance on a player like White.
March 5th, 2024 at 7:45 am
Yo what’s up Joe. It’s Mike. Unfortunately Devin is leaving. He has been a key part of our teams success
March 5th, 2024 at 7:47 am
Joe, no mention of the fact that Baker is also on Ian’s list?
Ian Valentino says:
That is what I’ve been saying. So many around here are getting lathered up over this QB. Dude consistently puts up nothing stats and fails to move the chains, but he has one or two decent games and suddenly he’s amazing? Yeah, ok.
Ian also pointed out this little nugget:
I posted a comprehensive list of his dropped INTs a few weeks back in an article titled Baker Mayfield “A Steal” (Jan 31). He had 22 dropped INTs this season to go with his 10 caught INTs. If you don’t see the problem with this you don’t understand QB play in the NFL. He’s a fine QB, and he should get paid more than 4 mil, but he is not elite by any standard. He’s absolutely not worth 30+ annually.
March 5th, 2024 at 8:11 am
Good digging on underlying things:
realistic-optimistic Says:
March 5th, 2024 at 7:47 am
March 5th, 2024 at 8:32 am
I was just about to say the same thing WhatTheBuc…. Payton Wilson is basically a Devin White clone.
Yes Wilson is fast – 4.43 -40 (not a 4.3 Brent Clark – big difference) and can definitely do the sideline to sideline thing as well as be an effective blitzer.
But he lacks strength to get off blocks and make strong solo tackles (too often getting “finished on” by the person he is tackling.)
He also takes bad angles and/or finds himself out of position too frequently… sound familiar?
He is likely better than White in coverage….
But the biggest concern that will make the Bucs or any team wary of using a 1st rd pick on Wilson is his extensive injury history. 2 blown ACLs and a blown shoulder. All of which ended his seasons and required surgery. (1 ACL was in High School). His slight frame and injury history puts his “durability” in question at the next level without a doubt….
I would much rather see the Bucs select an Edge rusher, or high end Center/OG with that 1st pick. Wilson will definitely be off the board by the end of the 2nd rd….
Fortify the trenches Licht – and then do it some more!
The Buccaneers will do just fine without Devin White. In fact – they are perhaps better off without him. “Leadership” don’t mean d!ck when you ain’t making plays!
Our defense improved when Britt was taking most of Diva’s snaps last year.
And I’m convinced that Sirvocea Dennis will turn out to be a good NFL player in time as well…
March 5th, 2024 at 8:43 am
What a waste. Hope he goes to the Bills.
March 5th, 2024 at 8:51 am
Comparing White to Winston is BS. White loafs. Winston was a turnover machine, but nobody could ever be critical of his effort. I suspect that Mayfield will prove to be very similar to Winston. Nobody has an issue with his effort. He misses wide open receivers, and his downfield accuracy is questionable at times. He’s a great cheerleader., and apparently a really nice guy. I’m just not confident that he is anything more than a journeyman QB.
March 5th, 2024 at 8:53 am
On the surface it certainly looks like White’s play fell off after 2020, but there’s probably a lot more to it than that if you look at his total performance year-by-year. His roles seem to have changed somewhat year-to-year, and with that, his opportunities to make splash plays. Got a suspicion that impacted Devin’s performance (and he didn’t respond all that well?).
March 5th, 2024 at 8:55 am
His rookie year (2019) was pretty much a learning year & he did reasonably well (13 games, 2.5 sacks, 5 QB Hits, 4 TFL, 1 INT, 3 FF, 4 FR, 2 TD, 3 PD with 75.0% completion rate & 348 yards allowed, plus 91 tackles including 58 solo). Included in there were 75 blitzes. Not a bad year for a rookie.
March 5th, 2024 at 8:57 am
Devin did great in 2020: (15 games, 9 sacks, 16 QB Hits, 15 TFL, 0 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 0 TD, 4 PD with 83.3% completion rate & 626 yards allowed, plus 140 tackles including 97 solo). Blitzed 91 times.
March 5th, 2024 at 8:58 am
White blitzed a lot more in 2021 (to 133 blitzes), yet his overall productivity decreased (17 games, 3.5 sacks, 18 QB Hits, 8 TFL, 0 INT, 0 FF, 1 FR, 0 TD, 3 PD with 82.1% completion rate & 544 yards allowed, plus 128 tackles including 87 solo). His pass coverage stayed about the same (relatively poor) and he gave up 3 TDs that year. Looks to me like his role got adjusted again the next year.
Devin only blitzed half as much (65 times) in 2022, but his overall productivity actually increased somewhat (17 games, 5.5 sacks, 16 QB Hits, 8 TFL, 0 INT, 2 FF, 3 FR, 0 TD, 5 PD with 75.7% completion rate & 400 yards allowed, plus 124 tackles including 73 solo). His role apparently changed again somewhat, but that may have had something to do with the loss of Suh & JPP on the DLine. His pass coverage did improve somewhat though. Not enough to win him a new contract for $20 mil however, and he ended up playing in 2023 on his 5th year for $11 mil.
The rest is pretty much history … Devin didn’t respond very well in some ways in a contract year (14 games, 2.5 sacks, 9 QB Hits, 5 TFL, 2 INT, 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 TD, 6 PD with 67.4% completion rate & 194 yards allowed, plus 83 tackles including 49 solo). His blitzing was down once again (75 times), but his pass coverage did improve considerably in 2023.
I can’t see him coming back to the Bucs, but I could see him doing quite well for another team, IF it’s the right team that showcases his skills.
March 5th, 2024 at 9:00 am
1sparkybuc Says:
“Winston was a turnover machine, but nobody could ever be critical of his effort.”
.
.
I agree with this. My comparison is strictly in reference to their resistance to coaching. Winston is on record saying that he ignores half of what his coaches say.
March 5th, 2024 at 9:16 am
@DR, the problem with DWhite is he’s a one-trick pony. He has 112 QB pressures in his career. That’s more than double the next-closest ILB over that span (Queen, 58 pressures). That’s an amazing stat.
Fantastic, he can produce pressures. But he’s a ILB, not an EDGE. You can’t blitz your ILB 100% of the time. Moving him to EDGE is unlikely to succeed, because he’s too small, has no bend, and can’t shed blocks.
ILBs must have more tools in their toolbox than he possesses. He is dreadful in both run and pass coverage. He freelances. He pouts. He loafs.
March 5th, 2024 at 9:17 am
ILB Junior Colson | Michigan Football
March 5th, 2024 at 9:19 am
You are almost sounding like a Diva apologist DR…
White’s ‘decline’ ever since his sensational 3 game string of 2020 playoff run performances has been dramatic.
This has nothing to do with ‘scheme’ and everything to do with ‘attitude’. Or should I say rather – lack of ‘want to’….
Devin White has the athletic capability to be one of the best player’s in the league at his position – but he lacks the desire and high level of commitment required to achieve that.
Football is just a means to an end for White IMO. A way to earn enough $ in a few years time so that he can play with his horsies to his heart’s content for the rest of his life.
There’s no burning desire to be the best football player he could possibly be which is a damn shame considering the immense talents for the game that he was blessed with….
Joe was absolutely right for a change leading up to that 2019 draft – the Bucs SHOULD have drafted Josh Allen. #5 overall is way too high a price to pay for any off ball LBer….
March 5th, 2024 at 9:25 am
Kwon 2: Electric Boogaloo
March 5th, 2024 at 9:30 am
In my assessment, I believed that Devin White was seriously overhyped, and the comparisons drawn between him and legendary figures like Patrick Willis or Ray Lewis were no doubt unwarranted.
From my perspective, Jeffery Simmons emerged as the more promising option, with the consideration that the value wasn’t justified for selecting a middle linebacker at such a high draft position.
March 5th, 2024 at 9:33 am
Devin is the best LB in the NFL.
Just ask him.
March 5th, 2024 at 9:35 am
(Archives)
LUVMYBUCS Says:
April 22nd, 2019 at 11:46 am<-
Jeffrey Simmons is hands-down a Top-5 prospect.
Don’t be shocked in 3 or 4 years; Simmons is considered the best or one of the best in this class. Jeffrey Simmons & Vita together… smh
The Bucs should trade down a few spots and draft the two Mississippi St. prospects.
• 1st Jeffrey Simmons (DT) 6′ 4″ 301<-
• 2nd Elgton Jenkins (RG) 6' 4" 304<-
March 5th, 2024 at 10:32 am
White will have to sign a “prove it” contract somewhere. I don’t know why, but I think he’d be a good fit in San Francisco. You know John Lynch keeps an eye on what is going on in Tampa, and signing DW cheap would help their depth with Dre Greenlaw getting over a torn Achilles.
March 5th, 2024 at 10:52 am
Sad
Probowl talent
Peewe league brain
My lasting memory of White will always be the play where he made a great tackle. He jumped up an immediately began posing.
While directly behind him, his teamates were fighting for the fumble.
Never forget that play. It so perfectly summarized Whites career here.
March 5th, 2024 at 10:56 am
And he never could pass cover anyone. Worst LB in coverage Ive ever seen.
Which, with his speed, made no sense.
I think the route runners fooled him. Yup, every time.
Seems like a good time to give a shout out to our colleges, and what a great job of cultivating young minds these days!
March 5th, 2024 at 11:01 am
Biggest red flag on D White was his comments I believe right after the draft where he was talking about how much he expected from his second contract.
March 5th, 2024 at 11:08 am
White is a head case.
Talented, but a guy who is clueless. He cost himself huge money and will never meet expectations. He’s plain stupid too.
Had talent to be HOF someday but is a mental midget and a coach killer.
Kinda like JTS.
Pull the lever and launch them both,
March 5th, 2024 at 11:14 am
He’s a starter here…I doubt anyone will offer him nearly as much as he wants…and if they do…someone needs to be fired.
I was hoping white would have a good year last year…prove he deserved the money he wants. He failed. It is time to move on, unfortunately.
If he tests the market and then wants to stay, bring him back at less money and with no promises except a fair ‘chance’ to start.
My only concern is Lavante David…if he actually plays another year, we’ll be lucky. I think he would sign with us though if he plays.
March 5th, 2024 at 11:21 am
Bonzai,
He lost his starting gig to KJ Britt.
Sent message cut White, JTS and Hall.
Licht giving draft picks preferential treatment. He’s already upgraded these these positions.
March 5th, 2024 at 11:29 am
White has all the athleticism in the world. But his instincts are terrible. Lavonte’s fast, but he’s not the biggest, strongest or best athlete. What sets him apart are his instincts. Instincts are the single biggest factor that make or break a LB (and safeties as well). Draft Trotter this year. Pure instinct, not the most athletic, but will stack tackles and cover well. Let’s not fall in love with another athlete playing LB. Let’s draft a true LB that is also relatively athletic.
March 5th, 2024 at 11:36 am
I find it wild that Devin White is #66 on PFT’s Top 100 free agent list while Lavonte didn’t even make the list!
2023 STATS (regular season and playoffs)
Solo Tackles
-DW: 49
-LD: 100
Total Tackles
-DW: 86
-LD: 152
Sacks
-DW: 2.5
-LD: 5.5
Interceptions
-DW: 2
-LD: 0
Forced Fumbles
-DW: 0
-LD: 2
Passes Defended
-DW: 6
-LD: 5
While I understand that White is younger, in a “What have you done for me lately” league… I don’t understand how Lavonte isn’t less desirable than all 13 free agent linebackers who are on the list.
March 5th, 2024 at 11:37 am
**double negative. I meant “IS less desirable”
March 5th, 2024 at 12:25 pm
The way that Bowles wasted White I really don’t understand.
You know White stinks in coverage, but is a great disrupter when he’s unleashed and allowed to rush up the middle – he screws up passing games and rushing games – and instead of using him that way, Bowles just has him sit back in a soft zone 95% of the time, and White stinks when playing in space. The fact that Bowles knows this, and can watch his own tape of his own play calling from the Super Bowl era – and instead still insist on playing a soft zone and wasting not just White, but both of his expensive corners as well, it’s frustrating for players I’m sure. At least Bowles changed up the way he used his corners as the year went along – but not White, he was still just standing around in space right through the playoffs, wasting away.
White should have stuck to his trade demand before last season. The Bucs could have got something for him, and he wouldn’t have greatly devalued himself on the FA market.
March 5th, 2024 at 1:48 pm
Rod Munch,
You are absolutely right. Nice job.
It really is puzzling why Whites role was changed, and remained changed, even though he went from being a force to being a liability!
March 5th, 2024 at 3:20 pm
Well, bye…
March 5th, 2024 at 6:28 pm
Devin White was hurt last year and we all know it but it was a contract year so he had to play injured.
March 5th, 2024 at 6:43 pm
Dude lost the eye of the tiger
March 5th, 2024 at 11:39 pm
I am all for redemption and comebacks. With many other people I in my young adulthood have felt invincible and full of myself. Not recognizing my hard work to get ahead has to be constant. Or discounting others who played a part in my success including those above me who enabled me.
I hope Devin does well in the future and appreciate hard work usually combined with appreciating support results in long-term health and success. I’ll be rooting for that. And rooting he does not stay in the NFC South :).
March 6th, 2024 at 11:24 am
sign him to a 1 year min prove it deal