Getty Devin White celebrates a big play for Tampa Bay in 2022.
The Detroit Lions have had a busy offseason of making additions to the roster, and most have come on the defensive side of the ball.
With some free agency signings, Detroit’s defensive backfield has been boosted by the likes of Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The defensive line has seen Isaiah Buggs and John Cominsky sign new deals.
Linebacker, however, only witnessed the return of Alex Anzalone as well as Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Both of those guys are role players for Detroit, meaning the team could theoretically still be in the market for a top talent ahead of the NFL draft.
Interestingly enough, one of those players may have just hit the market in the form of Devin White. White, a fourth-year linebacker out of LSU, requested a trade away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Lions have been revealed as a squad that makes sense to add him.
Bleacher Report took a look at the situation, and presented a list of ideal landing spots for White. Writer Maurice Moton placed the Lions as one of five teams that he believes should explore a deal for the linebacker.
As Moton wrote, the addition of White to their group would be a big bonus in terms of adding pass rush punch, as well as the kind of young player that could improve the upside of the entire group.
“Though Detroit may have found a sixth-round draft gem in James Houston, who recorded eight sacks in seven games this past term, the Lions can use him in a designated pass-rushing role with White taking on a majority of the snaps,” Moton wrote in the piece. “At linebacker, Alex Anzalone and White would play most of the snaps with Malcolm Rodriguez, another 2022 sixth-rounder, and Houston coming off solid rookie campaigns to round out the position. Detroit would have one of the league’s most talented linebacker corps, featuring a blend of veteran experience and budding youth.”
Making an addition to create one of the best linebacker groups in the league is certainly interesting, and would be the type of move that the Lions could use to elevate themselves in the future at a very needy position on the ball.
The team’s defense finished 32nd in the league during the 2022 season, and was short on big-name players to make an impact. The addition of White would give the team another player who is coming into his prime to increase the star power of that side of the ball.
Devin White Requested Trade, Buccaneers Rejecting Move
Why is White on the block? According to ESPN analysts Adam Schefter and Jenna Laine, White requested a trade himself on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. The reasoning behind that? He wants a new contract.
Schefter explained in a tweet that White did request a trade, centered mostly around the fifth-year option issue.
Bucs’ Pro Bowl LB Devin White has in fact requested a trade, as @JennaLaineESPN reported. Bucs do not want to trade him, but he wants to be traded as he is coming up on his fifth-year option.
“Bucs’ Pro Bowl LB Devin White has in fact requested a trade, as Jenna Laine reported. Bucs do not want to trade him, but he wants to be traded as he is coming up on his fifth-year option,” Schefter tweeted.
As was later revealed, Tampa Bay says at this point that they are not planning on making a move away from White. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times provided an update shortly after the news broke with White that said the team doesn’t have interest in moving away from the star linebacker.
“As was the case in March, the Tampa Bay Times confirmed again Tuesday that the Bucs have zero intention of trading their Pro Bowl inside linebacker. White, 25, has one year left on his rookie contract. The Bucs picked up his fifth-year option that will pay him $11.706 million in 2023, and he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season,” Stroud wrote in the piece.
White has already seen his fifth-year option activated, and as a result, he could be expected to be back. White could certainly sit out or try to force matters if he is not happy with the situation, but as of now, it doesn’t seem as if the Buccaneers are going to blink.
It looks as if White wants a new contract, and would rather the Buccaneers trade him than pay him on the current fifth-year option deal. With the team claiming they will not budge, it sets up a fascinating standoff for the weeks ahead.
Devin White’s Career Stats & Highlights
There is little doubt that White would be an interesting addition for the Lions, or any NFL contender if he was on the block. The linebacker has been very productive since joining the league in 2019.
A former fifth-overall pick of Tampa Bay in the 2019 NFL draft out of LSU, White would go on to have a fantastic rookie season, posting 58 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two touchdowns. That would get him named to the PFWA All-Rookie team.
In total, White has collected 483 combined tackles, 20.5 sacks, one interception, six forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries in his career. He also has a second-team All-Pro to his credit in 2020, and a Pro Bowl in 2021. The Buccaneers captured Super Bowl 55 with white on defense.
At 25 years old, White is also the perfect age for a team to grab from a developmental perspective. Even though the Buccaneers don’t want to deal him, White wants a move, and would be an intriguing player for Detroit to consider.