“Polarizing” Devin White Trade Watch
May 18th, 2023
Is he on the market?
Joe isn’t sure Bucs fans need to be monitoring a “polarizing” Devin White Trade Watch because Joe isn’t convinced there is a move afoot to unload the disgruntled Bucs linebacker.
Cody Benjamin of CBS put together a list of players that could be traded before NFL teams go into their annual hibernation after mandatory minicamps end in a month.
And Benjamin has White on his list.
In case folks forgot, White demanded the Bucs trade him because White is irked a contract extension to his liking isn’t coming his way.
A polarizing four-year starter for Tampa Bay, White is an athletic freak who’s drawn high marks from coach Todd Bowles and posted gaudy numbers for the position. But he’s entering a contract year and could command near-record money despite middling grades as a coverage man, reportedly requesting a trade the week of the draft. Selling him would rob the club of a defensive leader, but save an immediate $11.7M as the team prepares for potentially sweeping transitions post-Tom Brady.
Logical landing spots: Bills, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders
Joe wouldn’t describe White as “polarizing,” though being called out by a franchise icon for loafing sure is “polarizing.”
Joe prefers a more apt adjective like “disgruntled.”
As Joe pointed out from BSPN yesterday, White has no leverage here. Since he played elite ball in the 2020 postseason, White’s play has slipped. He hasn’t played like a dude with the leverage to order a general manager to trade him, or else.
When is the last time you saw a linebacker called out by a Hall of Famer for loafing who was able to demand where he plays and how much he earns? Joe can’t recall.
Were Derrick Brooks or Hardy Nickerson ever dragged for playing half-arsed football?
The Bucs very much want to keep White. And Joe believes the Bucs are willing to pay White good money. But first, White has to demonstrate he’s worth top dollar from Team Glazer. Is that too much to ask?
May 18th, 2023 at 4:57 am
Let him walk
May 18th, 2023 at 5:01 am
If his indirect or direct demands continue there is a Chargers running back also looking for a new team. Austin Ekeler would look good in a pewter and red uniform. Dial up the trade, it would definitely shore up our running game.
May 18th, 2023 at 5:06 am
Bucs can’t afford to trade White; we don’t have a viable replacement on-board. If Devin wants Top-5 money (from the Bucs or anyone else), he’ll need to show more consistent performance, especially in his coverage skills.
May 18th, 2023 at 5:29 am
Out, get him out.
May 18th, 2023 at 5:48 am
I wouldn’t retaliate against him until there is a more egregious reason to do so. He is still vital to our defense and an abled body when motivated. He has some weaknesses but what player don’t.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:31 am
White for isaiah simmons and one of cards 3rd rnd picks in 2024
May 18th, 2023 at 6:35 am
If Washington’s still interested I would flip him for DE/OLB Montez Sweat
Dude can set the edge and give you some solid pass rush.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:38 am
Very interesting that the Chargers are on that list of “landing spots”. Austin Ekeler anyone?
May 18th, 2023 at 6:46 am
The new head coach next year will have a very different view of him.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:49 am
Montez Sweat – Height: 6-6 | Weight: 262lb | 40 Time: 4.41
Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers hasn’t had a defensive end with those impressive measurables since the days of DeMarcus Ware.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:59 am
The article mentions him as a defensive leader. I disagree. His actions don’t line up with that of a leader IMO.
May 18th, 2023 at 7:04 am
What HOF player was calling him out for loafing?
May 18th, 2023 at 7:12 am
I was watching Below the Surface on the Buccaneers Official YouTube channel, and we were going to draft Jack Campbell if he was there.
May 18th, 2023 at 7:18 am
Stonedbuc: Some guy named Sapp. William Sapp, if I remember correctly. Maybe Walter Sapp.
May 18th, 2023 at 7:19 am
It all depends in what they think they have S. Dennis. Not the athlete White is, the kid might already be twice as smart. He’s played both will, and MLB in Pitts defense, and has a chemistry already playing with our #1 pick Kancey. Dennis’s first play in rookie camp was a pick six. White has not had a pick in TWO years! Going to be interesting to see if they play Dennis in White’s spot next to David during OTA’s. How he fares might be the determining factor in what they do with White. I like sending him to the Chargers, but not for a back that wants to get paid.
May 18th, 2023 at 7:25 am
Ahhh good old Wilbur sapp!
May 18th, 2023 at 7:47 am
The Bucs GM and coaches will do what they do and it matters not what anyone else thinks of it. If they think Devin White will be an important contributor to the Bucs success this season, they won’t be looking to trade him. It would be difficult to get someone on the roster who would contribute more for the same or less money than they’re paying him.
As for White, it behooves him to play his very best this season so that he can get paid well for the next several seasons thereafter – whether for the Bucs, or for someone else.
All the talk about him being a “lockerroom cancer” is just worthless yak. Whatever gripes he has about contracts is meaningless in the lockerroom or on the field – he knows that as does every other player and coach.
And, for all you “let him walk” yakkers here, no player should ever be chastised for wanting to get paid a market rate, whatever that rate is for that position and for the performance of that player. Asking for more money is entirely appropriate, whether athletes or workers in business. If you are too chickensh it to ask your boss for a raise, don’t begrudge someone else for asking.
May 18th, 2023 at 7:51 am
Eckler would be a great fit Lt Dan. Very underated player
May 18th, 2023 at 7:59 am
Even if he balls out this year i may let him walk. You better be a perrenial all pro ILB that loves the team if you want franchise-like money.
At this point it’s almost ideal he balls out and then signs big elsewhere. We get a mid round comp pick that would be probably better than what we even get in any trade and we get another year of production while Sirvocea marinates/learns
May 18th, 2023 at 8:06 am
His country naivety came out, he saw that his little tantrum didn’t work so now he’ll show up and it’ll be fine.
May 18th, 2023 at 8:17 am
Boneheaded player
Tremendously talented athlete!
Boneheaded player
May 18th, 2023 at 8:22 am
IF he had some humble pie he could be fantastic, however he is to busy feeding that oversized ego.
May 18th, 2023 at 8:26 am
Don’t worry about Devin White he’ he’ll go out and get his money here or somewhere. He’s ignorant if he comes in here and causes a problem for the team or plays like crap, either one will lower his contract value. He has no choice but to ball out
May 18th, 2023 at 8:28 am
Duane, when we are talking about asking for a raise when your performance has done nothing but slip for the past two years is something I can critique.
May 18th, 2023 at 8:45 am
I thought there was a salary cap you can’t pay everyone or can you? Your paying Davis, Dean, Vea, Wirfs, Godwin, Evans then next year Winfield and White. I can’t see 20 mil for White!
May 18th, 2023 at 8:55 am
Athlete? Yes. Middle Linebacker mentality? Hardly. Piece of advice to #45… Do your job. The money will take care of itself.
May 18th, 2023 at 9:05 am
I stand corrected , I would have kept SMB for 3 mil and taken the draft pick and spent the 8.5 in free agency on MLB or elsewhere!!! Light get out of the Mirror , Tom is gone Super Bowl was years ago !!! Skip Happy Hour and Build it Back !!! White is a Cancer !!!
May 18th, 2023 at 9:24 am
🥾
May 18th, 2023 at 9:29 am
White’s EGO hasn’t matched his on field performance, EGO AND AVERAGE PERFORMANCE equals A TALKER… So Buyer Beware
May 18th, 2023 at 9:33 am
White has 4.4 feet, but a 6-flat brain.
Which is why he has not improved. OC’s know how to neutralize him.
I’ve morphed from fan to shale-my-head disappointed in White.
Too bad the Bucs can’t buy him for want he’s worth, and sell him for what he *thinks* he’s worth. They could pay off the stadium bonds.
May 18th, 2023 at 9:47 am
I think even if Devin has a career year, his lack of self awareness and crappy timing on this demand for a new deal has possibly alienated some at 1Buc and I’m thinking he might not even get an offer to stay in Tampa next offseason.
Not really mad at him believing he can earn more, but the public displays he’s made on social media as if Tampa is not a franchise that doesn’t pay its’ top earners is kind of where Devin White lost me. Totally agreed with Coach Foote calling Whites’ issues a champagne problem, because it’s not like Devin White is being underplayed, and going the route most players who share Whites’ sentiment by holding out would a actually cost him what he’s holding out for which is more $$$. Young, arrogant, and not the greatest business mind kind of defines the Devin White “situation”.
May 18th, 2023 at 10:37 am
IF HE’S NOT PROUD TO BE A BUCCANEER, TRADE HIM STRAIGHT UP TO THE L.A. CHARGERS FOR RUNNING BACK “AUSTIN ECKLER”,PERHAPS RECIEVING A MID-LATE ROUND PICK BASED ON THE 5 YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE..DO IT NOW SO SIRVOCIA DENNIS CAN GET 1ST ROUND REPS TO STEP IN AS THE STARTER IN WHITE’S POSITION !
May 18th, 2023 at 10:41 am
Show him the door.
It’s so not good for TEAM to have that attitude around on many levels.
GO BUCS!!!
May 18th, 2023 at 11:00 am
My memory of Devin White last year, was of him posing- while his teammates behind him were fighting to recover a fumble.
There he stood,flexing, while the play was still on going.
Trade him. He’s not nearly as good as he thinks he is.
He has one really weak muscle- right above his shoulder pads
Trade him
May 18th, 2023 at 11:07 am
Bucs only trade/cut players if they have a replacement on hand.
If Denis continues to make splash plays in camp with the 1s White’s chance of receiving a contract from the Bucs or even being a Buc this year diminishes.
May 18th, 2023 at 11:26 am
Austin Eckler is doing the same thing Devin White is , demanding a trade because he wants more money ! That would be the worst trade of all time. And a RB is not worth a pro bowl LB … Go Bucs
May 18th, 2023 at 11:26 am
He has all the tools except the most important one. Zero brains. I bet his IQ is sub 90.
May 18th, 2023 at 11:30 am
If you’re trying to compete you can’t get rid of good players but apparently he thinks he’s a star. Ask the everyday workers out there, you have to work for every Penny you make so you’re not the exception bruh. Yes you could get injured on the 5th option but that’s life for everyone you’re on the verge of losing your job and big money. There’s no way they’ll pay you with that attitude when they know you’re only here for the contract
May 18th, 2023 at 11:32 am
I don’t think he has confidence in Bowles as a leader. Just my hunch. If so, then if (when?) a new coach gets here you could see White return to his monster 2020 form, his being a player that needs inspiration. I bet if Tony Dungy were the coach, he’d be Derrick Brooks level.
May 18th, 2023 at 11:52 am
Trade White for a 4th round pick and a bag of Doritos.
May 18th, 2023 at 12:10 pm
No way out of paying that 11.7 million. No one will trade for him unless it gets complicated and three or four other players are thrown in the mix.
If he slobs, sit him. After a few games he might, maybe, see the error of his ways. If he doesn’t there are other options, like the CFL, XFL, or USFL for White.
May 18th, 2023 at 12:11 pm
^^^^^and whom do we replace him with …. a 4th round pick because I used the Doritos to season my French Fries!!
May 18th, 2023 at 12:29 pm
I hope White reads JBF to find not even casuals are jumping off The Skyway over his threat…which he has since clumsily walked back.
Maybe his agent told him to STFU.
May 18th, 2023 at 12:34 pm
Send him to football purgatory, let get paid by a bad team in a cold weather town.
He has gone soft, the Cowgirls ran right at him all game and he got planted by a backup rookie guard.
Yes he is fast, yes he runs sideline to sideline. But he has gone soft and looks to avoid contact. Hardy did not have this much talent, but had twice the heart and in the end was a much better football player.
Give me heart over talent.
May 18th, 2023 at 12:45 pm
Maybe his agent told him to STFU
When has White said anything publicly about his contract demand?
May 18th, 2023 at 12:50 pm
Every player can be replaced… even Devin White
As a team, we are not very good at making changes that we know we need to make. The Donovan Smith situation comes to mind. He has been pretty “meh” from his beginning here, but no real effort was made to replace him, and we were forced to overpay (*at the time) and give him a 2nd contract with a sizable pay increase just to remain “meh”.
If Ali Marpet wasn’t playing directly next to him, we would have maybe done something sooner. We just aren’t proactive in that way, and we get stuck with the lesser of two evils.
Just rip the band-aid off, gets a player of some value, and move forward without him.
May 18th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
I stand by my hope that both sides can fix this. He has game-changing ability and is still young. I get the business of it all, but think he can be part of that magical Tom Brady run AND, the future!
May 18th, 2023 at 1:48 pm
Hey Devin, Come in and play the best MLB on our team can play. Be the best you can be. For you and your team and fans. Maybe mistakes were spoken. We all have had our mouths overspend our pocketbooks and taken that lesson to heart. I hope you have also. Rein in and collect yourself, play your best MLB, and let the chip$ fall where they may. Earn it.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
May 18th, 2023 at 2:11 pm
They mean he polarized the fanbase. He’s the clear defensive leader but also is the leader in defensive mistakes.
May 18th, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Jerry Jeudy l, a 5th in 2024 and then a 2nd and 4th is 2025… SIGN IT
May 18th, 2023 at 5:57 pm
“In case folks forgot, White demanded the Bucs trade him…”
Requested. No demand was actually made.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Crazy the number of people aiding with billionaires over millionaires.
He deserves more than he’s being paid
May 18th, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Defense Rules Says:
“Bucs can’t afford to trade White; we don’t have a viable replacement on-board. If Devin wants Top-5 money (from the Bucs or anyone else), he’ll need to show more consistent performance, especially in his coverage skills.”
This. We have Lavante David almost out the door…why would the Bucs want to create another issue?
I suspect Devin will have a career year this year, and earn his money.
This reminds me of how a bunch of people here wanted to trade Mike Evans after his second year. Imagine if we had done that…probably would have cost us a Superbowl year.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Licht said straight up at the combine they were not trading Devin, and he is very direct and usually tells the truth. First round ILB 2024.
May 18th, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Trade him for Budda Baker. Baker wants a trade out of Arizona and he becomes an immediate safety starter and need filled for the Bucs.
As far as White’s position, we have Britt and Dennis. Give the rookie a shot.
May 18th, 2023 at 8:32 pm
This dude gets caught up in the wash more than my drawers… we need someone who can shed a block not just get a sack when he gets through unblocked
May 18th, 2023 at 9:25 pm
Please get rid of this guy. He’s a cancer, not a leader.
May 18th, 2023 at 10:19 pm
Best case scenario for Devon White. He plays out his contract. Shows everyone what he’s capable of. Then moves on. I don’t see Tampa trading him.
May 18th, 2023 at 10:26 pm
Anthony Nelson can shed a block. Good things happen when he’s on the field. A guy that tall can probably cover a tightend in coverage. Just saying.
May 18th, 2023 at 10:35 pm
Not if the blocker is physical. That’s his kryptonite. Physical teams take him out.
May 19th, 2023 at 6:12 am
The Bucs are foolish if they dont trade White…sooner the better!