No one can deny the impact inside linebacker Devin White has had during his time with the Buccaneers. After being drafted fifth overall by Tampa Bay in 2019, White quickly stepped up and continued to impress, most notably during the 2020 season when he captained the Buccaneers defense and helped quarterback Tom Brady to a Super Bowl victory.
He was the successor to Derrick Brooks and was well on his way to being Lavonte David’s successor.
It will continue the elite play the team has displayed from the position in the 21st century.
But in 2022, his play declined.
White requested a trade prior to the 2023 season. This year has been full of ups and downs. He was an elite starter in the season opener, but was injured in Week 3 against the Eagles. The ups and downs ultimately led to his demise. “Pivot Podcast” He detailed how once one of the league’s best inside linebackers left Tampa Bay to sign a one-year, $4 million prove-it contract with the Eagles.
“Get Live 45” had a lot to say.
Devin White on Buccaneers: ‘Best four years in the league’
Buccaneers ILB Devin White – Photo courtesy of USA Today
During the podcast, former NFL safety and current media personality Ryan Clark asked Devin White about the ups and downs of his NFL career so far, and White was quick to defend himself regarding his injury and underwhelming playing time last year.
“Looking back now, it just feels like it all came back to haunt me,” White said. “I feel like a lot of situations, opportunities and injuries were not handled well. Injuries are a big factor. If you watch my tape and go back from when I was a little kid to high school, college and when I was in the league, I’ve never had an injury.
“Like you said, I had a great career. I felt like I had the best four years in the league. Me and my agent were like, ‘You’re next. Take care of yourself.'” as far as [my] The contract situation. That’s something we really addressed going into my fifth season.”
While there’s no denying that White played at a near elite level as an inside linebacker at times, it’s also undeniable that his play dropped off significantly over his final two years with the Buccaneers. His stats show high numbers of tackles and sacks, but not missed plays, missed coverages or an overall lack of awareness on the field.
All of this culminated with head coach Todd Bowles. White was demoted and replaced by KJ Britt. in the team’s Week 15 game against the Packers.
Devin White believed the Buccaneers would protect him.
Devin White was benched late in the game and saw his playing time dwindle, but Todd Bowles and others said he will continue to be looked after through the offseason.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and ILB Devin White – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“After the season, Coach Bowles and all of them said, ‘We’re going to take care of you. You’re our guy, that’s why we drafted you,’ so I had the mindset of, ‘I’m their guy, I’m going to get what I deserve,'” White said. “You start planning ahead. I had some land in Tampa and I was going to buy it for my family. But that didn’t happen. I started talking to the GM and he was like, ‘Well, we were planning on playing you on your fifth-year option,’ or something like that.”
To get a new contract, White first requested a trade to spur a move, finishing the season with Tampa Bay despite saying “a lot of teams” had contacted him. His agent, Tory Dandy, said he expected a big payday and compared White’s streak to other top inside linebackers.
That never came to fruition.
“You never know, so it’s like, ‘Okay, what’s next?’ I’ve got to do what’s best for me,” White added.Man, Roquan [Smith] “Tory did this before me. Tory had all his materials. He had all my data, Fred Warner. He was showing me how to break it down to present to them for a contract. We didn’t even get there. They just said, ‘We have a plan for you, and it’s to play out your fifth-year option,'” he told me on the phone. I said, ‘I’d like to hear it from them.’
Buccaneers ILB Devin White – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
White then returned to Tampa Bay and said Bowles endorsed him during their in-person meeting, but the front office did not.
“So I bought myself a plane ticket and went back to Tampa and spoke with Coach Bowles and Jason Licht. Jason reiterated that to me: At that point, it’s out of the head coach’s control. He doesn’t control the contracts. He made that known in front of everybody.” [them]”‘This is my player, this is the player I want.’ At the end of the day, I have the utmost respect for him, as always. He really stood in front of me behind closed doors and on the table.”
In the end, the Buccaneers decided to let him go and Devin White decided to sign with the Eagles and do what was best for him. He thought he did his best after his injury last season, but it wasn’t enough to re-sign with the team that had him with the top pick in the draft.
Whether last season’s poor showing was due to injury or a decline in play will be answered one way or another by White in 2024.
