Getty Devin White, a potential target in Packers free agency
Throughout their history, the Packers have never been particularly big on splashy free-agent acquisitions, but there’s a chance this year could be different. That’s because, as they look to improve on last year’s promising finish to the season, one of the glaring holes on the roster figures to be on the interior at linebacker, and in a draft that is short on linebacking talent, a Packers free agency shopping spree might be in order at the position.
DeVondre Campbell is likely to be cut after he has failed to live up to the $50 million extension he was given in 2021.
Quay Walker and Isaiah MacDuffie (who played for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley at Boston College) are both young and have shown some promise, but are still very much developing. The Packers need to fill several holes on the defensive side of the ball, but a playmaking linebacker would be ideal for a defense that ranked 16th in sacks (2.6 per game) and struggled to stop the run (61.3 rush defense grade at Pro Football Focus, 21st in the NFL).
With that in mind, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic tossed out some ideas as potential replacements for Campbell, starting with one guy who would be most interesting: former Pro Bowler Devin White, a polarizing star who courted some controversy for the Buccaneers this season.
Packers Free Agency Options at Linebacker
Here’s what Schneidman wrote on the topic of potential Packers free agent acquisitions, after noting that the Packers are, technically, $3 million over the salary cap entering the 2024 offseason.
“There are plenty of moves they can make to create cap space, most notably the release or trade of left tackle David Bakhtiari, which would free up about $21 million.
“A couple of names perhaps to watch? … The Packers might need a veteran inside linebacker, too, assuming they release De’Vondre Campbell. Guys like Devin White, Josey Jewell and Zach Cunningham are set to be unrestricted free agents.”
Jewell and Cunningham are solid, low-cost options, suitable for typical Packers free agency. But White would be a home-run swing. Opinions on White’s value are varied. Pro Football Focus projects him to get a one-year, $7 million contract, and Spotrac has him getting two years and $21.5 million.
Devin White, Buccaneers Butted Heads in 2023
White established himself as a big-time playmaker early in his career, when he ran back two fumbles for touchdowns as a rookie after he was the fifth overall pick out of LSU in 2019, and made 140 tackles, including 15 for a loss, in 2020. He was named to the Pro Bowl in his third season, as the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, but has slipped since.
Overall, White made just 83 tackles in 14 games this year, as his tendency to take too many gambles and overplay on play-action was frequently exposed. He also had some off-field issues, as he squabbled with the team over his contract before the season, and bizarrely sat out the Bucs’ game against the Packers in Week 14 because of a foot injury after the team indicated he was ready to play—White said he could not go, according to reports, only after he found out he would not be starting.
White is one of the more interesting free agents on the market, though. He might be a bit too much of a gamble for the Packers, but if he can recapture some of his early-career magic, he could be a gamble that pays off.