The Buffalo Bills entered the offseason with a few needs to address on their roster. However, because of their salary-cap concerns, some of those holes remain unfilled. A few were also created in free agency with a few players leaving Buffalo this offseason.
One of those players was linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds signed a record-setting deal with the Chicago Bears, agreeing to a four-year, $72 million contract. The deal includes $50 million guaranteed and is the largest for an inside linebacker in league history.
That is two record-setting deals for linebackers this offseason, as Roquan Smith signed a five-year, $100 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. That was the largest off-ball linebacker deal in league history, including $60 million in total guarantees.
But, those numbers are in jeopardy with Devin White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers closing in on a new contract. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie pact and is looking to cash in.
With Tampa Bay hesitant to hand out a large contract with some serious salary-cap concerns, White requested a trade. He had hoped that a trade request would help facilitate a new deal getting done.
The Bills are one of the teams that have been mentioned as a logical landing spot for White. The fit makes sense as they have yet to find a replacement for Edmunds alongside Matt Milano. While they would run into some of the same issues with White as they did Edmunds, namely his desire for a huge long-term contract, White would be a much-needed upgrade for their lineup.
What would a trade between the Bills and Buccaneers look like? One suggested trade package is the Bills sending a second-round pick, No. 59 overall, and a fifth-round pick, No. 137 overall, to the Buccaneers in exchange for White.
While Tampa Bay would almost certainly hold out for a first-round pick, if the Bears couldn’t get that for Smith, it is hard to imagine White going for that. White hasn’t been as consistent as Smith in his career, with a 45.5 PFF grade highlighting White’s struggles in 2022.
But, with a rebuild likely on the horizon, getting draft capital is an ideal return to kick-start things for the Buccaneers. For the Bills, which are looking to contend for a Super Bowl, acquiring White could be the piece that puts them over the top. They would be going all-in and can worry about working out a long-term deal later.
More must-reads: