“Things You Just Can’t Coach And You Just Can’t Do”
March 4th, 2023
Slam the door on any thought of the Bucs not placing a massive value on Devin White.
He is “the man” for Todd Bowles in his beloved defense, and the head coach elaborated on his sitdown with the Ira Kaufman Podcast.
Speaking to assembled NFL media, Bowles noted that White makes plays the coach hasn’t seen in his 30 NFL seasons as a player and coach. Joe asked Bowles on the podcast to give fans examples.
“Sometimes we get wide punches and they fake the run fake and they throw the quick screen out wide, and they got two blockers on the cornerback and the safety. And Devin comes out of nowhere,” Bowles said. “I mean he flies across the field; and he keeps it to a three- or four-yard gain. He does some things that you just can’t coach and you just can’t do.
“His nose for the football is uncanny and it’s one of the best in the league. And there’s just not guys on every team that you can go around and say that about. And so for the few plays that he misses, you know I think we tend to beat him up more a little more than we should because the plays that he makes go unnoticed. He does a lot for our defense, he does a lot for our team, and I’m happy with him.”
Bowles had more to say about White’s value and the team’s approach to keep him developing. Joe asked Bowles if he would prefer White spend more time in the backfield this season hunting quarterbacks like he did in past seasons.
Bowles wouldn’t go there because he sees White as a complete player.
“I think Devin can do anything,” Bowles said. “I think he’ll be a great cover guy and a great blitzer. So that’s the value of him. We can do a lot of things with him. And I think he’s good at both of them.”
Bowles said this week White is a top-2 Bucs defensive player on a weekly basis. Joe followed up to ask who is the other guy in the top-2? Bowles said that honor changes weekly while White is a constant.
It sure smells like White will become a $20 million-per-year linebacker in 2024, the going rate for a superstar at the position, assuming the Bowles defense carries the team successfully.
March 4th, 2023 at 4:47 pm
Still waiting to see a complete season from him. He’s obviously an athletic freak. Still tackles too high for my taste. If he were 2 inches taller he be probably one of the better defensive ends or outside linebackers in the league. I would still have him chasing QB’s a bit more but he needs to be more disciplined in doing so. They may let him do that if the line improves a bit.
March 4th, 2023 at 4:48 pm
I hope so. I would love to eat a barrel of crow.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:03 pm
First time I saw him at LSU I noticed he was a grabber and not a thumper. I thought that would change, it didn’t. I still think having #54 next to him lets him gamble a little more. still needs to improve in coverage.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Devin White got torched by Prescott and the TE Shultz on the vertical seam routes.
It didn’t matter if the Bucs were in man, man cover 2 or cover 2 or man Cover 3 or Cover 3 (the Cowboys ran down our throats when they saw Cover 3) the ball went to Shultz because White couldn’t cover the hash seam route which is the vulnerability of that coverage.
LB’s must be able to defend the hash to the safety and the hash to the flat in modern day football.
The film on White that everyone in the NFL now has is that Devin White can’t cover those things.
But Todd Bowles is the defensive genius who calls a play that allows one of the game’s greatest wide receivers in Cooper Kupp to run wide open for a 50 yard bomb which led to the Bucs defeat, and then after reflecting on it says that he’d do it again.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:06 pm
For once, I agree with Bowles.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:08 pm
I think that White is an elite MLB’r in the NFL. His speed, strength and athleticism are off the charts. He is a freak, like Simeon Rice was a freak. If he could get to the QB more and knock the ball loose while he is there that would be awesome. I’m dam glad that we have him and hope that they find a way to keep LVD too because they make each other better at the heart of our defense.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:22 pm
Hes good but not a 20 mil a year linebacker.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:45 pm
Watching the combine today the camera went over to the Bucs booth and for some reason Licht did not look very happy. I believe hes starting to realize its not going to be one bad year but possibly two. After this years cap mess then next year Whites getting paid 20 mil+, Winfield 15 mil+ then Wirfs 5th year option 18 mil+. But if we can make it thru the next two years our draft hasn’t been to great lately so no one gets the big money except existing players.
March 4th, 2023 at 5:54 pm
Richardson looks as good anyone at the combine. I would not even consider Bryce Young no workout and hes only 5′ 10″.
March 4th, 2023 at 6:08 pm
I’d trade a guy who gets “bored” ,, and who gets tired ..
March 4th, 2023 at 6:18 pm
Devin White = Geraldini
March 4th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Just extend him now. Why wait for the market to go up?
March 4th, 2023 at 6:23 pm
The reason Licht looked uneasy Joe Swanson he doesn’t who to select in the draft because the Bucs need everything.
March 4th, 2023 at 6:25 pm
If only Dick Butkus had the talent of this kid.
March 4th, 2023 at 6:54 pm
I don’t understand what people are talking about with D White. I’ve watched every game since White came to the Bucs. He has played damn good for the Bucs over that time. Some say he didn’t play well last season, hell the entire team played bad last year including Brady.
March 4th, 2023 at 6:59 pm
We do need everything except punter
March 4th, 2023 at 7:32 pm
Devin White’s the best ‘middle’ linebacker we’ve had since Hardy Nickerson. But is he $20 mil a year good? And how many highly-paid ‘stars’ can we afford in say the $10 mil and above bracket? Right now we’ve got:
o Godwin … $20 mil/year average … CAP hit $23.8 mil
o Evans … $16.5 mil/year average … CAP hit $23.7 mil
o D Smith … $15.5 mil/year average … CAP hit $17.9 mil
o Jensen … $13 mil/year average … CAP hit $15.0 mil
o Gage … $10 mil/year average … CAP hit $12.2 mil
o Vea … $17.8 mil/year average … CAP hit $15.7 mil
o Shaq … $17 mil/year average … CAP hit $21.3 mil
o Davis … $14.8 mil/year average … CAP hit $18.2 mil
o White … $11.7 mil/year average (5th yr) … CAP hit $11.7 mil
And none of that counts that we’re paying a QB who’s retired over $35 mil this season for past services in CAP hit.
So breaking those down we’re paying 5 offensive players a total of $75.0 mil/year average and taking a $92.6 mil CAP hit in 2023 for their services.
And we’re paying 4 defensive players a total of $61.3 mil/year average and taking a $66.9 mil CAP hit in 2023 for their services.
Those 9 players are costing us $159.5 mil in CAP hit for this year. Add in Brady’s 35.1 mil and we’re committed for $194.6 mil in CAP hit for 2023. Our salary CAP for the Top-51 players can’t exceed $205.8 mil this year. So we have roughly $10 mil to pay the other 42 players to get us to that magical Top-51.
So again … ‘How many highly-paid ‘stars’ can we afford in say the $10 mil and above bracket?’ Got a hunch the answer is something less than 9.
March 4th, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Trade Evans while he still has value, sorry but this is what smart teams do..
March 4th, 2023 at 8:15 pm
White had a much better year. Davis on the other hand is not worth the money and once again Bucs have terrible production at nickel corner. whitehead was also missed.
March 4th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
He can’t cover. This isn’t 1979.
March 4th, 2023 at 8:30 pm
So does anybody have the cap saving number if the Bucs cut D Smith, L Fornette, C Brate, J Jones, Succop Speaking of D Smith, I was watching a recorded game against N England and Smith had another big play call back because of a, they say hands to the face but it was a sure holding ( just saying )
March 4th, 2023 at 9:52 pm
The Bowles cleaner is one deluded MF if he thinks Diva White is so special. Maybe special with a K, but he blows in from nowhere and whiffs, totally misses the play.
Missing the play would be okay if it caused some delay, but it is so far afield it doesn’t do that. RBs must laugh when they see him coming.
March 4th, 2023 at 9:58 pm
Stebobucsfan, Nothing for Julio, others add up to around $18-$19M.
Trade Devin White! He can’t cover a TE or RB. If KVD doesn’t return, the Bucs will be in trouble at LB because White can’t get it done. If Bucs don’t keep LVD (who’s better than Whie and less expensive), they need to draft an LB who can cover. Simpson from Clemson?
March 4th, 2023 at 10:22 pm
‘I think Devin can do anything’…wow. Look at the tape from the last playoff game vs Cowboys, he got torched. He is lost in coverage and it won’t get any better.
March 4th, 2023 at 11:16 pm
I have very little faith in Bowles’ ability to evaluate players, period. When he finally cut Darden he flat out said he had done nothing wrong and we saw NUMEROUS plays where he did plenty wrong. He also seems to miss-evaluate opposing players when attempting to craft match-ups. I could give more examples but am biding my tongue. I don’t think I am wrong, though.
March 5th, 2023 at 7:34 am
Mort Says:
March 4th, 2023 at 6:21 pm
Just extend him now. Why wait for the market to go up?
We don’t have the money to extend him now……there is no incentive for him to extend.
This has happened to us with Godwin…..and this year Dean.
We are tapped out and don’t have extra money to offer a raise in return for extended years.
As far as White is concerned, I think he will be a $15 mil LB….I’m a fan….love his speed.
March 5th, 2023 at 7:56 am
Ohhhh Bucsbingo you’re so adorable, you’re like a jit kid that doesn’t care for great writing/dialogue/tension in movies you just want lowest common denominator CGI. You overlook the actual important attributes of a quarterback, you know – things like THROWING, and intelligence – things that Bryce young is superior in but noooooo, so many donkey brains out there getting little chubbies over a combine workout and der der derrrrrrrrrrr “but he’s 5-10.” I cannot wait to see Bryce Toung starting by week one while Richardson sits the whole yr and next yr we’re gnna go through this whole thing again because no one ever learns
March 5th, 2023 at 8:20 am
The fact that White has the “C” on his chest & not LVD, is not an endorsement of Bowles football IQ!
March 5th, 2023 at 10:18 am
Okay so it’s obvious that White is an athletically gifted freak of nature. Alpha dawg leader. But it was hardly a ringing endorsement and although Bowles complimented him, there was no mention or comparisons to any other HOF Bucs defenders no after what the position.
Instead Bowles said “I think he’ll be a great cover guy and a great blitzer. So that’s the value of him. We can do a lot of things with him. And I think he’s good at both of them.”
Bowles just said “ he’ll be” he didn’t say he is one already. So yea right there that tells me everything. POTENTIAL. It still could go either way with White. Metal breakdowns and penalties, inconsistency and all the other things that come with aggressive young players. The difference with White is he is so freakishly athletic. He relys on the athleticism to make plays that he may have been fundamentally in the wrong position etc. White needs to put it all together this year to get to next level and EARN the praise and reach his potential.
March 5th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
If White is to reach his potential, he needs a different coach. Blowzo will never hold him accountable and gets the worse out of him.
March 5th, 2023 at 11:51 pm
How can a Head Coach or Defensive coordinator come out and say that and have anyone think he is a capable coach. Does he not watch film? Devin White a top 2 defender? Ok, Lavonte David has to be #1 and of course we are going to let him go. White put out so much crappy play on tape that if he wasn’t 1’st round pick and the coach constantly raves about him, he would just be another average player. Sure, he makes splash plays from time to time but how many times did we see him getting blocked 15 yards downfield. How many times did we see him out of position? How many times did we see him take bad angles? How many times did we see a quarterback juke him out or his shoes. You never see Bobby Wagner put that kind of garbage on tape.
March 6th, 2023 at 3:22 am
Zwak with the comment of the year !
Trade Mike Evans cuz that’s what smart teams would do ??????
Yeah if they want to NOT sell tickets and pizz off the fan base even more ! Real smart dude.. Go Bucs
March 6th, 2023 at 4:16 pm
“great cover guy” ?!?!?
Well, one thing is for sure: Bowles definitely learned how to bullchit from old Brucie.
March 8th, 2023 at 1:32 am
Geez
For every “comes out of nowhere” play he he hurts the defense on four by being out of position, overruning plays, blown coverage and not getting off blocks.