One Final Move For Bucs
July 5th, 2023
Devin White
When training camp opens in three weeks, Joe wonders what will happen with disgruntled Devin White.
The once-rising star, frustrated with negotiations to extend his Bucs contract, demanded a trade earlier this year.
Outside of watching mandatory minicamp practice this spring, White mostly has been seen in social media videos where he is riding his horsies.
Field Yates of BSPN said the main goal for the Bucs right now isn’t to sign an inexpensive free agent. It’s for Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to get this White thing resolved.
White made headlines this offseason with a trade request, but the Buccaneers have made it clear he’s a valuable part of their defensive core. He is currently slated to play on his fifth-year option of his rookie deal, putting him on track for free agency next offseason. His play had an up-and-down nature to it in 2022, and some teams around the NFL don’t place premium value on the off-ball linebacker spot. It feels like several outcomes are plausible — an extension, White playing out this year on his current deal or a trade — but finding a resolution is helpful for all parties.
Well, Licht stated earlier in the spring he had no “intention” of trading White. That’s hardly a flat out “No.”
Problem with trading White is his value is likely the worst of his career. He played so unevenly last year that Bucs icon Warren Sapp famously called him out on social media for loafing and declared White should have “the ‘C’ ripped off his chest.”
Ouch.
Don’t think that shot was not heard around the NFL. So that’s one reason Licht doesn’t want to trade White. It’s a buyer’s market.
Joe guesses what the Bucs have to hope for is that White plays out of his mind trying to max out his next contract.
That is if White still wants to play for the Bucs.
July 5th, 2023 at 5:08 am
If he walks next year you get a comp 3rd. So I would think his market now would be a 3rd rounder, maybe sweetin it with a 6th also. Sir Dennis keeps picking off passes in camp, make us an offer.
July 5th, 2023 at 5:34 am
Far be it from me to second guess a guy like Jason Licht, but…
Take what you can get and move on. He is not worth the trouble. Hoping he plays well this year is a pipe dream. He refuses to take coaching and has not shown anything more than he can blitz in Todd Bowles scheme. Not to mention that guys like White tend to become a problem in the locker room. Get him gone please Jason.
July 5th, 2023 at 5:42 am
If we are going to repeat as NFCS Champions we need a great year from that horse’s backside. If he plays lights out some poor sap will offer him whatever he wants. I don’t think it will be us, though. $20 mil a year is steep for an ILB. I suppose if he picks up 10+ sacks we might consider it.
July 5th, 2023 at 5:46 am
That’s why White was wanting out of TB. He got butthurt by Sapp’s comments. Seems instead of answering the bell and proving Sapp wrong by his play he was intimidated and try to bite the hand. Now his actions have caused a dilemma, 1) suck it up and admit that he was loafing and move on or 2) deny it and cry to get out. Be a MAN Devin and suck it up and move on.
July 5th, 2023 at 6:17 am
Trade him to Texans or Browns. Maybe even Broncos.
July 5th, 2023 at 6:47 am
White has no choice but to ball out this year right here in Tampa. No one’s going to give us anything in a trade at this point. No one’s going to give him a mega deal at this point even if we cut him. Reality is not his friend.
July 5th, 2023 at 6:54 am
We CAN’T trade a guy with one year left on his contract
July 5th, 2023 at 7:15 am
MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT DEVIN WHITE “WILL” PLAY FOR THE BUCCANEERS THIS YEAR ! & I BELIEVE HE (BARRING INJURY) WILL HAVE A PRO BOWL SEASON..OBVIOUSLY HIS STOCK WILL RISE & HE WILL HAVE EARNED A HIGH PAY RAISE..HOW MUCH WE OFFER HIM REMAINS TO BE SEEN..HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME TO TERMS ON A CONTRACT THAT PLEASE’S BOTH THE PLAYER & THE TEAM..HATE TO LOSE A GUY WHO’S FOLLOWING IN LAVANTE DAVID’S FOOTSTEPS..LINEBACKERS HAVE MOST ALWAYS BEEN THE HEART & SOUL OF THE BUCCANEERS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS..MAKING THE MOST TACKLES, STOPPING THE RUN KEEPING US IN GAMES TILL THE OFFENSE FINALLY BEGINS TO “TURN ON THE SWITCH”..WHEN THE DAY FINALLY COMES ( WHICH I PERSONALLY HATE TO SEE, WHEN LAVANTE RETIRES A BUCCANEER…I WANT D.WHITE TO HELP MENTOR SIRVOCIA DENNIS TO TAKE OVER THAT POSITION..MEANWHILE, LET’S ALL SIT BACK & ENJOY THIS PHENOMENAL SEASON WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AS A “TEAM”..PROVING ALL THE NAYSAYERS WRONG ABOUT ALL THIS “TANKING” B.S. & JUST METHODICALLY PLAY WINNING FOOTBALL FROM THE 1ST GAME TO THE LAST..WE DO THIS & WE WIN THE DIVISION, SECURE OUR PLAYOFF SPOT & KICK IT UP ANOTHER NOTCH & PLAY THE BEST FOOTBALL WE ARE CAPABLE OF..
July 5th, 2023 at 7:22 am
White needs to play well no matter what….if he wants to make money with the Bucs or elsewhere.
July 5th, 2023 at 7:38 am
“Well, Licht stated earlier in the spring he had no “intention” of trading white.”
The lowercase “w” on White’s name is the first of Joe’s many grammatical errors that I approve of. I and many others have lost respect for the kid because of his performance and attitude. If you don’t want to be here, then go!
Devon will play the season here; in the off-season, the Bucs will offer a contract that will be out-bid by another team. Adiós, horse whisperer.
July 5th, 2023 at 7:43 am
NFL is a business as we all know, and White is a businessman. Right now he’s far more valuable to the Bucs if they keep him than if they trade him … and THEN have to replace him. White NEEDS a very good year THIS year to have any decent value NEXT year and he knows it. Can almost guarantee he’ll bust his cajones to put up some good numbers this year.
That said, I personally don’t want to see him with a ‘C’ on his chest again as a Buc, and I’m not even sure I want him calling the defensive signals on the field. He’s handled this whole thing very poorly & his value in a leadership position is suspect IMO.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:10 am
They should use him Micah Parsons this year. This will make him happy (setting him up for a decent contract) while highlighting his strength and hiding his weakness.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:15 am
TDTB
Good idea.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:17 am
Maybe they can with Dennis here.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:34 am
Devin White is not Michah Parsons. Dallas played Parsons out of position his rookie season, and slid him to rush off the edge on passing downs. 55% of Parsons snaps in 2021 were as a off-the-ball ILB. In 2022, 80% of his snaps were as a OLB/DE edge defender and only 18% of his snaps were as an off the ball LB. Dallas corrected their mistake, replicating that with Devin White would be a mistake.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:40 am
DR: My first thought when White started all this nonsense was that he simply cannot go into this season as one of the Captains. Will the Bucs have the B – – – –
to take the “C” off his jersey? Probably not. He has no better option going into this season but to play his best. His low emotional intelligence might prevent that though.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:59 am
Dooley … As always, fantastic analysis. Regardless of the sport, players tend to do best IMO when playing their position to perfection within the scheme (assuming of course that the ‘scheme’ is a good one & not half-baked). Bowles’ defensive schemes have shown themselves to be top-notch over the years, and I’m confident he’ll put White in positions to maximize his talents this year too.
At the same time, we’ve all seen players who ‘free-lance’ and opt to do-their-own-thing as opposed to play within the scheme. Obviously there’s always a danger that a player looking for a big next contract will try to do too much to make BIG plays & hurt the defense in the process. Got a hunch field leaders like LVD wouldn’t tolerate that for very long.
July 5th, 2023 at 9:21 am
Based on the last couple years, he’s worth about what he’s making this year. Maybe he wants to play in a different scheme because he knows this one is hurting him , I can see that point
July 5th, 2023 at 9:54 am
@DR
I just keep seeing the “we should use White at OLB” and the idea of that makes me wince & cringe. Shooting either A-gap, sure that’s his wheelhouse, but rep to rep going against offensive tackles would be an exercise in futility. Also, if I were an OC I’d just run the ball straight at White if I saw him lined up over my OT on either side as he’s not keeping containment nor establishing the edge at all. Not to mention how that’d screw our rotation up, and rob some of the more able young guys the opportunity of earning some work.
July 5th, 2023 at 9:59 am
This would be the time to extend him.
Lowest value.
Bucs will regret not doing so if he goes somewhere that uses him right.
July 5th, 2023 at 10:05 am
Dooley … ‘Wince & cringe’ is spot on. Bowles defense is based on stopping the run as Job-1. We saw last year what happens when the defense can’t do that as well as in years past (9 games where we gave up over 100 yds rushing, including 2 where we gave up over 200 yds rushing). We won 3 of those and lost 6 (not including the playoff loss where we gave up 128 yds rushing).
‘Not keeping containment’ was huge last year (we obviously missed JPP & Shaq). Nelson’s fairly good at that, but JTS has been circumspect. It’ll be interesting this year to see how the youngsters do in run defense (Hall, JTS, Kancey, Diaby & others).
July 5th, 2023 at 10:35 am
Offer him an incentive laden contract that makes him top paid lb in the league IF he reaches those incentives . If he refuses the offer then shop him because he doesnt believe he can reach those incentives . I believe he COULD be the best in the NFL if he applies himself . Kid is athletically gifted .
July 5th, 2023 at 11:39 am
Yeah he can’t line up as an OLB. You just need to use him on blitzes, where he has shown he is most effective.
And I agree that his potential “value” is probably at its lowest point right now. If he wants big $$$, he needs to play with his hair on fire this season.
Your move, Diva White.
July 5th, 2023 at 12:37 pm
I am guessing he won’t be traded until closer to the trade deadline in November to some team making a playoff push. I think we could get a late 2nd rounder for him if he plays his butt off in the beginning of the season.
July 5th, 2023 at 12:53 pm
Trade White for a 3rd and a serviceable slot CB.
Start SirVocea Dennis who is not only a good rusher up the middle, but who may already be better as a rookie than White in coverage.
Dennis has great instincts, his first step is almost always correct and he doesn’t easily get tied up by blockers. These are all weaknesses in Devin White’s game as is White’s obvious lack of coverage ability.
Dennis is going to be a good player in this league! Let him go ahead and get started (for 1/10th the price of White the next 4 years) while LD54 is still here to help teach and guide and cover for the promising rookie.
July 5th, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Bowles loves White. They both have one year to show they are top dogs or move on. Hopefully, the defense will be ferocious and both will get rich.
July 5th, 2023 at 2:18 pm
I seriously doubt that Devin White is a Buccaneer in 2024 – situations like this cause bruised egos and there is no possible way White is worth the $11 mil he gets paid for THIS year, much less $20 mil he says he wants.
Trade him now, end the distraction, and let someone else step up into his place.
July 5th, 2023 at 6:37 pm
I believe once Mike gets his extension, Mauch gets signed and then they extend Devin this offseason.
July 5th, 2023 at 7:12 pm
It’s a business. I’ve run a couple of businesses. Yes the bottom line IS the bottom line BUT how you get there varies greatly.
I always want to be surrounded by people I trust. Who can trust Devin White after all he’s already done to DISTRACT from this season. He has already earned close to TWENTY million if he never plays again with an 11 million $$ cherry on top if he plays this season for the Bucs. Yes I get it’s a business but is he reallly so great that he can ever be trusted not to have another “mood swing” at the expense of the Bucs?
There was a PROFESSIONAL way this could have been handled. He could have continued to argue for the increase from 11 MILLION to ??? and failing that he could have HONORED his contract. He did this at a time when the most casual NFL fan is aware of the Bucs salary cap issues left over from Brady. Nothing like a prima donna when the situation is already bad.\
Fun thought…we Tampa fans have been witness to a SB win and multiple Stanley Cups…the price salary cap hell!!! The Bucs and Lightning are going to need to make some perfect deals and choices to escape.
July 5th, 2023 at 8:29 pm
Good teams keep their best players.
That’s why they’re good.
Bad teams do not keep their best players and often keep sub standard players.
It’s hard work being a bad team.
Bad teams must make bad moves repeatedly.
Devin white runs fast and hits hard.
Fast middle linebackers in their prime are an asset.
I understand fans here overlooking this, but when coaches overlook these basic features and misread the good talent they got, the coaches quickly hit the unemployment line with a fresh set of walking papers.
It is what it is.
July 5th, 2023 at 10:09 pm
I think the only plausible outcome would be he plays out his contract. I don’t see a trade or a new contract happening this year. If he shows improvement in the areas of his game that he’s been lacking the Bucs will offer him a fair deal. Especially if Bowles keeps his job. I believe the most likely outcome is he plays well but inconsistently like before and leaves in FA next year. Dennis takes over for much less $ with no dropoff. Better in some areas and not as good in others.
July 5th, 2023 at 10:45 pm
Let’s not repeat what happened with O.J Howard!! We could’ve received 2 nd Rd pick for him but instead we let him walk and get nothing.. Granted I never thought Howard was that good to begin with unlike White.. I think he can be and Great LB with the right mind set.. I hope David has talked to him and things get straightened out before mini camp and we shock some folks this year!!! LETS GO BUCS!!!!
July 6th, 2023 at 4:06 am
Well said, TOMMY MORDUE!
I really don’t see what the fus is about. White is hardly the first player this do this…and more often than not, it works itself out.
Last year was up and down for everyone on the team, except perhaps our punter.
People just don’t get it…whether the Bucs do well or not this year, Lavante David is in his last year.
Those of you wanting to trade White are not thinking things through.
I know we have some smart fans here…but it seems like the newer people have not experiejced this She rt if thing before. It really isn’t a big deal.
July 6th, 2023 at 7:56 am
He’s not going anywhere before this season. He wants more money, which who doesn’t? He hasn’t proven he’s worth a max contract in my opinion, but that’s neither here nor there.
Let him play and try to earn what he thinks he’s worth. Either way the Bucs win. They either get to resign a player that developed or they get to hopefully recieve a high comp draft pick.
July 6th, 2023 at 4:49 pm
I don’t see White getting traded. In my opinion the best that can happen for Tampa at this point is. White plays out the remainder of his contract and he walks in free agency. I mean let’s assume this year White returns to his 2020 playoff level of play. To keep White in Tampa they would need to give him a huge contract. After White gets the big contract What’s stopping him from loafing and returning to the level of play we saw last season. Let that be somebody else’s problem. In my opinion we have seen what White is capable of. We saw it last year. Let somebody else overpay for his services.