Sometimes, it is hard to quantify the value of the addition or removal of a player from a roster. That is not the case for the Las Vegas Raiders, who made several additions to their roster this offseason on both sides of the ball. Those additions are starting to pay off.
Linebacker Devin White has quickly become one of these players.
Las Vegas' group of linebackers were ravaged by free agency, as they were forced to completely revamp the unit. Pete Carroll expressed confidence in the linebackers multiple times this offseason. Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans proved Carroll was right to be as confident as he was.
The Raiders' addition of Devin White directly has directly led to one win for the Raiders. It may only be the beginning, as White continues to return to form. Sunday against th Titans, White recorded a sack, forced fumble, and an interception.
White's forced fumble helped the Raiders build a double-digit lead they would not surrender. He was by far the player of the game for the Raiders. After the game, White credited his position coach and the rest of the Raiders coaching staff for helping him prepare for the game.
"I think my coach, JG [Linebackers John Glenn], he worked hard, he always talked about it and being positive. We work on these things in practice, we don't just come out here and do it,” White said.”
“We actually do drills to simulate the things that we're doing. Obviously, we've got a lot of stuff to clean up, so I know the drill is going be even harder this week, but it is what it is. We got the win, everybody's happy. But now we've got to flush that and on to the next."
During his first few years in the league, White was one of the best linebackers in the National Football League. He continues to show flashes of his younger self after joining the Raiders this summer.
"It means a lot, but it's a credit to just playing complementary football. When the offense is moving the ball and we get some scores, we don't have to be one-dimensional defense, and I think it's just played right into my game, and just being able to just go fly around,” White said.
“But once we're down and a team's just running the ball, just to run the clock, it's hard to do anything, it's hard for anybody to do anything. That's just a test to the team with football."
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