Getty The Cowboys and Mike McCarthy may pursue Buccaneers LB Devin White in free agency.
The Dallas Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for a former Pro Bowler of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As predicted by CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, Benjamin projects the Cowboys to add Buccaneers linebacker Devin White. White will be a free agent this offseason and is one more of the accomplished linebackers on the market. He’s not only won a Super Bowl, but he was named to the Pro Bowl at the conclusion of the 2021 season along with being named a Second Team All-Pro selection at the end of the 2020 season.
“Physically gifted but often debated for his inconsistent angles, White should still have a sizable market because of his upside,” writes Benjamin. “Dallas is never shy about adding big names.”
Why the Cowboys Could Use Devin White
The 25-year-old linebacker has been one of the most statistically consistent linebackers in the league over the past few seasons. Between 2020 and 2022, White racked up at least 124 tackles per season. White actually has the 10th-most tackles in the NFL since the 2020 season.
However, the advanced analytics paint a lesser picture of White. According to Pro Football Focus, White has never posted a defensive grade higher than 51.9 in any of his five seasons in the NFL. Furthermore, his 46.0 defensive grade this past season — which is one of the lesser defensive grades of any starting linebacker in the NFL — was his highest over the past four seasons.
While PFF may not rate him highly, Spotrac still projects White to earn $10.7 million annually over a two-year deal worth $21.5 million total.
The Buccaneers do run a 3-4 defensive alignment, while the Cowboys run a more classic 4-3 defensive formation. With that being said, White usually plays the left inside linebacker spot, which means he could play the weakside linebacker slot in Dallas’ defense.
Leighton Vander Esch’s Career May Be Over After Latest Neck Injury
Leighton Vander Esch — Dallas’ season-opening starter at weakside linebacker — may be facing a career-threatening neck injury. Vander Esch’s 2023 season ended after just five games after suffering a neck injury. It was the fourth time — and the fifth when include his college career at Boise State — that Vander Esch has suffered a serious neck/collarbone injury during his NFL career.
Team owner Jerry Jones addressed the severity of Vander Esch’s neck injury back in November.
“He’s an integral part of that defense out there,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “We just wish him well, and just the nature of his potential injury here causes me to really think longer term and beyond what that means for next week or beyond what it means for next month. It has everything to do with what’s in his best interest.”
Although Vander Esch is under contract for another season, cutting him would trigger a dead cap hit of $2.3 million but also save the Cowboys $2.1 million.
While White may not be the perfect linebacker, he’s an accomplished and highly productive veteran. According to Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger, he’s the seventh-best linebacker on the free agency market.
“White carries top-five-pick pedigree into free agency, which will always lead to a stronger market, and he’s consistently one of the most productive pass rushers among off-ball linebackers, using his elite athleticism to explode into the backfield,” writes Spielberger.
With Dallas having a need at linebacker and White just entering the prime of his career, the move makes perfect sense for the Cowboys.