What Does Devin White Want?
January 11th, 2023
$100 Million Dollar Man?
Yeah, Joe periodically sees readers bring this up.
Next year the Bucs could be in salary cap hell. And the belt could get tighter. Or will it?
Joe doesn’t know if any Bucs fans noticed this but yesterday, Baltimore star inside linebacker Roquan Smith of the Crows, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, his fifth year, agreed in principle with the Crows to sign a five-year contract with a $100 million extension and $60 million in total guarantees.
That would be some $20 million guaranteed a year.
Is White as good as Smith? Maybe, maybe not. But salaries don’t go down and you can bet White, who himself will enter the final year of his rookie contract next season, already has that figure in mind.
Now could Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht extend White’s contract with all sorts of legal mumbo-jumbo hijinks that would ease pressure off the salary cap? Joe is confident he can and probably will.
Bucs long-time inside linebacker stud Lavonte David is in the final season of his contract. Monday night against Dallas could be his final Bucs home game, though Joe has not heard a peep if the Bucs plan to keep him or wave goodbye.
Joe guesses if David leaves, the Bucs will re-up White, in part to get some salary cap relief. But yeah, you should likely expect White to take a $20 million bite out of the salary cap each season in the near future. He’s on the books for over $11 million next season.
January 11th, 2023 at 4:19 am
Devin White can be a top 3 LB in this league if he wants too.
I dont know what is holding him back but his play over the years have been inconsistent. If it is on him or on what the Coaches asking him to do who knows. He has shown flashes even in coverage which is his weakness sometimes. The 2020 Playoffs White was on another planet flying around all over the field tackling, blitzing, jumping routes and breaking up passes. That Playoffs made me believe that he is coming on his own and he could be a force for 10+ years in the middle. But he did not take the next step. I dont know,
When you see his abilities during those Playoffs, his potential and his physical tools you are disappointed about his inconsistent play.
As far as contracts and salaries they never represent the true value of a player. Every year the market is reset and the prices go up, that is the system. I m sure White will demand a contract close to the one Smith got and is up to the Bucs if they want to give it.
January 11th, 2023 at 5:17 am
Bring the d white out that played lights out in the Super Bowl run out again in MNF and give home whatever
January 11th, 2023 at 5:39 am
There is a sharp contrast between the motivation inconsistency of Devin White and the paragon of consistency that is Tom Brady.
January 11th, 2023 at 6:35 am
Bucs defense wouldn’t be the Bucs defense without Devon. He’ll deservedly be signed. Licht is not stupid.
January 11th, 2023 at 6:48 am
Trade him and move on, there is absolutely nothing special about him other than his ego
January 11th, 2023 at 7:19 am
Let him test the waters of fee agency, and tell him not to let the door hit him on the way out.
He is closer to consistently bad than he is close to good. He has the physical tools, but his brain picks bad angles, makes him launch early, and anything else to make over run the play.
He also is an absolutely horrible tackler, who can’t wrap up a tuna sandwich. Really wasted draft pick.
January 11th, 2023 at 7:30 am
White is one of the few Bucs who are actually tradeable…..regardless, we need to draft a replacement for LVD……and if we trade White we need to draft a replacement for him.
Without LVD, White becomes a crucial keeper.
January 11th, 2023 at 7:40 am
At this point, White doesn’t even deserve $5 million a year, he’s just too inconsistent. Too many missed tackles and lack of discipline in coverage. The Bucs would be wise to spend that money elsewhere.
January 11th, 2023 at 7:41 am
We are paying a huge price for mortgaging our future the last couple of years……manipulating salaries to get around the cap with void years…
The price……some of our better draft picks are all going to be FAs and keeping them will be difficult. Dean, SMB, Edwards, Nelson…..
It would have been nice to renegotiate some of their contracts this year….but nope, no money.
This is one of the reasons we had to pay a ransom to resign Godwin.
January 11th, 2023 at 7:54 am
Joe has not heard a peep, most likely because the Bucs don’t know what they plan to do yet. White is a bargin at 11 million next season, why we worrying about his contract after that now? A lot of what happens next season will depend on what Brady decides to do. Once that domino falls we’ll know if it’s try to reload, or completely unload, and start all over. Monday night, you ready for some football?
January 11th, 2023 at 8:06 am
Sorry Devin, you’re just not worth that much money for being consistently inconsistent.
Come down to earth, check your ego and play for a reasonable contract if you want to stay.
January 11th, 2023 at 8:14 am
It is not my money. Devin is the face of our defense, and he brings the energy. Poor in coverage, tackling too high, yes, are some issues, but I feel we will lose a piece of our identity if he goes. As long as Bowles is our coach, he will stay. $20M is a lot but he’s making $11M damn near. 120+ tackles this year, and he chases people for a living with 4.4 speed. Pay that man
January 11th, 2023 at 8:15 am
If you win a super bowl, make the pro bowl, and youre a top 5 pick, why not pay him what he is worth
January 11th, 2023 at 8:17 am
LOL @ BF from Philly.
It makes perfect sense from this bunch.
White is a poor tackler, poor in coverage, and subject to constant brain farts, but he’s the “face” of the defense.
January 11th, 2023 at 8:56 am
Without David, White is an average LB. Trade White save his 11 plus salary sign David to two year 22 mil gives you time to groom another LB from the draft.
January 11th, 2023 at 8:57 am
Diva does nothing to earn that kind of money or respect. He’s all talk. Aside from 3 playoff games during the Super Bowl run, he is an under achiever. Not a leader by any means. It’s LVD we need to keep. Even though he’s aging, his presence minus half a step is more important than Diva the Blowhard.
January 11th, 2023 at 9:05 am
We are -40 plus in 2023 salary cap at the pace Licht is shoving money down the line in 2024 we will be -100. Thats fine if your putting a superbowl contentor on the field but if you are 8-9 its time to consider rebuild. If Brady decides to come back you pay White, what about the the 3 DBs that are FAs?
January 11th, 2023 at 9:09 am
Heck no. I don’t know THIS is even up for discussion.
January 11th, 2023 at 9:22 am
White is playing with more weight
His quickness isn’t flashing
He isn’t very instinctive
Money changed him
January 11th, 2023 at 10:40 am
Is the salary cap going up a lot more next year because of the youtube deal? I thought I read something about that
January 11th, 2023 at 10:44 am
Allbuccedup Says:
January 11th, 2023 at 8:56 am
Without David, White is an average LB. Trade White save his 11 plus salary sign David to two year 22 mil gives you time to groom another LB from the draft.
______
Not a bad idea. 54 still has it.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:32 am
I agree with what the first poster Christos said.
White has only ONE major flaw. He is inconsistent. When he’s on his game there’s really nobody better, but sometimes he fails to make an impact. Yet other times he takes over the freaking game.
If the Bucs make a strong playoff run powered in large part by a White led defense then decision time will be really tough. ONE and done…and…..
January 11th, 2023 at 11:54 am
Let him walk. I wouldn’t pay this guy. No way.
January 11th, 2023 at 1:19 pm
White will be just average without David.
January 11th, 2023 at 2:02 pm
Need David. Don’t need White. Need to draft replacements for both.
January 11th, 2023 at 4:57 pm
HARD PASS …
1. Not a team leader. Suh and JPP created a huge void in leadership and White did not fill it.
2. Invisible man. There were at least two games that White was on the field but didn’t do a thing.
3. Replaceable. The delta between White and competent MLB is small. He’s not a game changer.
REALITY
1. He’s one of Licht’s prized picks. Not resigning admits defeat by Licht.
January 11th, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Pretty sure R Smith can play pass defense…
Can White?
January 11th, 2023 at 8:44 pm
SlyPirate Says:
January 11th, 2023 at 4:57 pm
REALITY: Licht moves on from failed draft picks. But this counter-narrative is predictable on this site.
Exhibit A: Vernon Hargreaves
Exhibit B: Aguayo
Exhibit C: Noah Spence
January 11th, 2023 at 10:25 pm
Haters are haters. Whatever.
White is a great player…and that jive about not showing up in games is bull. You just don’t watch for him if you think that.
Regardless…this coming season is where we’ll see the most growth in him because of it being a contract year.
As to the leadership issue? If you don’t think he isn’t leaning in that direction, you are blind.
Lavante David is the defacto LB leader, and White respects that. But when he gets his extension, that’s when he won’t be a ‘young kid’ and will step up…and we’ll start seeing that next season.
So far as people saying we could go back to the losing way? I do not buy it. Smith aside, these players are hungry. Hungrier than the GMC years.