With the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected linebacker, Devin White. Through the first four seasons of his career, it is fair to say that Devin White has lived up to expectations.
While his 2022 performance wasn’t great, as he recorded a PFF grade of 45.5, Devin White is projected to break the bank with his next contract. Spotrac projects him to sign a record-setting deal that pays him $20.1 million annually. Evidently, that is something that the Buccaneers are not willing to currently do.
Devin White has requested a trade from the Buccaneers to help facilitate a new contract. Tampa Bay is in a bit of salary cap hell and with Tom Brady retiring this offseason, the franchise could be heading toward a rebuild. Trading him White would save the Buccaneers $11.7 million immediately and likely net them a good amount of draft capital to start replenishing the roster.
In 62 regular season games, Devin White has 483 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 55 quarterback hits, 15 passes defended and one interception. He has one Pro Bowl and one Second-Team All-Pro nomination on his resume as well and possesses freak athleticism.
Where could he be a good fit? Here are three teams that should pursue a trade for the talented linebacker.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been struggling to find an answer at the second level of their defense for a few years. Devin Bush was selected five picks after Devin White but things didn’t pan out nearly as well for him in the Steel City.
Bush hit free agency this year and signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Robert Spillane also departed in free agency signing with the Las Vegas Raiders while Myles Jack was released. The Steelers did sign Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts to fill the void, but acquiring Devin White would be a big upgrade.
The Steelers have shown they are willing to make a splash acquisition if the price is right. Adding someone of Devin White’s caliber would give Pittsburgh an All-Pro-level talent at every level of their defense.
The rebuilding process is underway in Houston. The Texans are hoping things will start to turn around now that they have hired DeMeco Ryans as head coach and he is on the same page with general manager Nick Caserio.
The process will be a lengthy one, but some of the ingredients for the recipe for success are in place. The Texans are hoping they land their franchise quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick and the offensive line in front of him is solid. Looking for a star to lead his defense, Ryans would love to add someone such as Devin White to the mix.
He can be the leader of the defense for years to come as he is only 25 years old. With extra draft capital courtesy of the Deshaun Watson trade, the Texans should not hesitate to bring in an impact playmaker to jumpstart their rebuild.
The Buffalo Bills lost stud linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency as he signed a record-setting deal with the Chicago Bears. The Bills, who have Super Bowl aspirations, have not yet filled his void in the lineup but could turn to Devin White.
He would be a great plug-and-play option, taking Edmunds’s place in the defense. Given their status as contenders, the Bills should be willing to pay a premium draft pick price to acquire someone of Devin White’s caliber instead of relying on a rookie.
The only real hold-up that the Bills would have is whether or not they want to give the former LSU star the kind of contract that he is seeking. They weren’t willing to pay Edmunds a top-of-the-market price; would they be willing to do it with Devin White?
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