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The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Monday that they have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free-agent linebacker Devin White. The six-year veteran spent last year with the Houston Texans after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
White gives the Raiders a rangy linebacker with sideline-to-sideline speed who, at his best, was one of the best players at his position in the league. With the Raiders losing Robert Spillane, their top tackler from a season ago, White has the opportunity to step into a big role in Patrick Graham’s defense.
White appeared in just seven games with the Texans last year, finishing the season with just 19 tackles. But prior to that, he was a staple for the Bucs, never totaling less than 83 tackles in any season in Tampa Bay. His best year, undoubtedly, came in 2020, when he was named a Second-Team All-Pro and totaled 140 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
That continued in the playoffs that year, as he had 38 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in helping lead the Bucs to a Super Bowl Championship.
Now, White will have the opportunity to help elevate this Raiders defense in Pete Carroll’s first year as head coach. The unit has taken some losses this offseason with both Spillane and Divine Deablo gone from the linebacker spot as well as safety Tre’von Moehrig. But the additions of White and safety Justin Chinn should help to offset those losses and a return to health from Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins up front should provide a great boost.
At just 27 years old White still should have plenty left in the tank and he will no doubt be motivated to show that last season in Houston was just a blip on the radar and he can get right back on track in Las Vegas.
Raiders set to meet with Texas QB Quinn Ewers prior to NFL Draft
The Raiders will also have the opportunity to add some talent in the upcoming NFL Draft though much of the rumblings there have been on the team adding offensive talent as the likes of Shedeur Sanders and Ashton Jeanty have been brought up as possibilities in the first round.
Another intriguing talent is quarterback Quinn Ewers of Texas who is expected to be a Day 2 selection and apparently there is some interest from the Raiders. A recent report noted Las Vegas is one of the team’s set to meet with Ewers for a pre-draft visit.
Even though the Raiders have traded for Geno Smith to be their starting quarterback, it doesn’t mean the team can’t develop another young player at the position, and the talent is certainly there for Ewers.
More must-reads:
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Steelers Release Rookie WR
The Pittsburgh Steelers have already begun to decrease their roster size as they enter the second week of training camp. The rest of the remaining roster is set to wear pads for the first time this summer, but three players who began this offseason with the organization were officially waived or had their contracts terminated. A headliner among the first roster cuts for the Steelers is promising rookie wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig. The 6'2" pass-catcher was hoping to take advantage of the competition within Pittsburgh's receiving room, but his performance through rookie camp, OTAs and the first week of training camp were not enough to keep him around. The team placed him and linebacker Jeremiah Moon on the waived/injured list. Both he and Moon were released with injury designations. This means that they could be in line for an injury settlement if they clear waivers and revert to the Steelers' Injured Reserve (IR). Lemonious-Craig joined the Steelers in May of this year after going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. He spent his collegiate career with two schools. He began at the University of Colorado, playing in that program between 2020 and 2022. As a sophomore, he recorded the best collegiate season of his career with Colorado. Over 11 games, he hauled in 23 receptions for 359 yards and two touchdowns. Following his sophomore campaign, he transferred to the University of Arizona to complete his NCAA eligibility. He played two seasons with the Wildcats, collecting 45 receptions for 468 yards and three touchdowns. Lemonious-Craig made waves during the pre-draft scouting process. Despite limited production over his five NCAA campaigns, he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash during his pro day. That speed, combined with his size, drew the Steelers to him and earned him a shot at camp.
Paul Finebaum Hints At Premier College Football Coach Being Fired with Poor Season
The 2025 college football season presents significant pressure for top coaches. Another disappointing season could result in them seeking new jobs. One of the coaches in question is Brent Venables, who is the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. He is entering his fourth season in this position. However, in two of his first three seasons, Venables' team has ended with a losing record, a situation that hadn’t occurred for more than 20 years before he took over. The Sooners are coming off a 6-7 season last year; however, there is some optimism for this season as they have added former Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer and former California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott to their roster. Last season, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, while also rushing for 826 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. Although Ott faced challenges with injuries during the 2024 season, he had an impressive performance in 2023, rushing for 1,315 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum stated that the Sooners need to start the season with a 5-0 record before facing Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Following that game, he believes they are likely to lose to Texas and will then need to secure a 4-2 record to finish the year. If they don't, he could be looking for a new job. "If they can win all but maybe two of those games, I think that Brent Venables may have a great record and will likely be around for a while," Finebaum said. "Otherwise, I think you know the answer to the question." If the Sooners decide to part ways with Venables, it would come with a hefty price tag. Venables' buyout is $34.9 million following this season. This speculation from Finebaum arises just one year after Venables agreed to a significant contract extension. Venables signed a six-year contract after the 2023 season, which the Oklahoma Board of Regents approved in June 2024. The deal guarantees him an annual salary of over $8.5 million for its entire duration. He originally signed a six-year, $43.5 million contract with the Sooners in December 2021. Venables' contract is fully guaranteed, and after this season, his buyout will decrease by nearly $10 million each year until the end of the contract. The Sooners are hopeful that Venables’ team can bounce back this season and avoid the need to search for a new coach in the upcoming offseason. Oklahoma is scheduled to open the season at 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 against the Illinois State Redbirds.
Luka Doncic Makes Lakers Warning Clear: ‘Win Now Or I’m Out’
Luka Doncic didn’t join the Los Angeles Lakers to wait around. According to a new report from The Athletic, the newly acquired superstar has made his expectations crystal clear behind the scenes: he’s here to win immediately. A source close to Doncic told the outlet that his mentality is firmly “win now,” and he’s applied championship pressure on the franchise from day one. “This isn’t signing away to the Lakers and saying, ‘OK, you have my commitment and I’ll have some patience here,’” said ESPN's Dave McMenamin on NBA Today. “It’s ‘I want to win this year, I want to win the subsequent year. So long as my name is signed to a piece of paper saying I am a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, I expect to be in a position to raise banners at the Crypto.com Arena.’” Coming from the Mavericks, Luka Doncic is feeling extra motivated to have a successful tenure in Los Angeles. In his first 28 games with the team last season, he got off to a pretty solid start with averages of 29.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 43.8% shooting. Few franchises face more constant pressure than the Lakers. Besides residing in one of the NBA's biggest market cities, the Lakers have a rich history of success that has raised their standards beyond any other team in the league. That's not to mention LeBron James, whose ripe age at 40 years old means that he's on the clock to win now. As he nears retirement, the Lakers are feeling the pressure to give him the kind of hero's exit he deserves. At the same time, Luka Doncic will have title expectations, and if the Lakers fail to stay in contention, it could jeopardize their relationship with the Slovenian superstar. Fortunately, Rob Pelinka has put his team in a good position to compete. After finishing third in the West last year, Pelinka revamped the roster with acquisitions like Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia. Plus, with young guys like Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, and Bronny James, the Lakers will also get better through internal development. Now 26, Luka is the unquestioned face of the Lakers—and he’s treating it like a mission. After being disrespected and disregarded by the Mavericks, he wants to prove them wrong as soon as possible and convince the NBA world that they made a huge mistake by letting him go. With just one NBA Finals appearance under his belt (2024), Doncic still has a long way to go before he feels any satisfaction, but he's feeling good about his chances for success next season. Thanks to a new training regimen and a commitment to proper conditioning, Doncic is setting himself up for the best stretch of his career. It's up to the Lakers to ensure it doesn't go to waste by giving him the support he needs to make a run in the West. Luka Doncic isn’t just bringing elite talent to L.A., he’s bringing urgency. With his prime years underway and a chip on his shoulder, Luka’s demand for excellence is exactly what this franchise needs to reclaim its identity. The message is clear: title contention is not optional. If the Lakers meet Doncic’s standard, they could be on the verge of another golden era. If they don’t, they risk losing one of the greatest talents of his generation before he ever gets a chance to plant his flag in purple and gold.
Commanders reportedly hesitant about one issue with Terry McLaurin deal
The 2024 offseason expanded the $30M-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent. McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks. Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington. McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6M extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations. McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the "holdup" is regarding the $30M-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92M extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well. Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30M-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations. A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30M AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30M, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.
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