There was a time in the not-so-distant past when inside linebacker Devin White seemed like the future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ defense — not just the heir apparent to Lavonte David but the next in line behind stars like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber.
It turned out, White’s success with the Buccaneers ended up being more of a flash in the pan than anything else — an incredible run over his 1st 3 seasons that saw White named to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2019, NFL All-Pro along with a Super Bowl champion in 2020, then a Pro Bowler in 2021.
Now, White is looking for his 5th team in 4 seasons headed into 2026, and Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put him at the top of his list of the NFL’s best “Bargain Bin” free agents just 1 month from the start of training camp.
White, the No. 5 overall pick by the Buccaneers in the 2019 NFL draft, last played for the Buccaneers in 2023, split 2024 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, then started all 17 games and had 174 tackles for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.
White Called Best Fit for Pair of Playoff Teams
Moton singled out White’s best fits in free agency as a pair of playoff teams from last season — the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“A former top-five pick from the 2019 draft, Devin White has clear strengths and weaknesses that can be utilized and masked, respectively,” Moton wrote on July 1. “On the one hand, White is an exceptional early-down defender who can supplement the pass rush … however, White has been inconsistent in pass coverage. He’s allowed a passer rating above 104 in two of his pro seasons. In the previous year, the seven-year veteran gave up three touchdowns and allowed a 94.3 passer rating in coverage. In a two-down role with limited exposure to coverage assignments, White can be a starting inside linebacker alongside a reliable second-level cover defender. If he signs with a team, it’ll likely be a one-year, prove-it deal.”
If a team wants White right now, they could have him for cheap — Spotrac projects his market value somewhere in the realm of a 1-year, $2.8 million contract.
White Missed Out On 2nd Super Bowl Win in 2024
White signed a 1-year, $4 million free agent contract with the Eagles in March 2024 after spending his first 5 seasons with the Buccaneers and seemed in line to start at one of the inside linebacker spots.
The Eagles made the stunning move to release White on October 8 and never even put him on the active roster through the first 4 games of the season.
Following White’s release and a 2-2 start to the season, Philadelphia reeled off 10 consecutive wins and won their second Super Bowl in the last 8 years with a blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Eagles soured on White after Nakobe Dean outplayed him and took his spot on the 1st-team defense in training camp. White was vocal about taking less money to play in Philadelphia because he thought he could eventually be a “dominant” player again.
“Rather taking such and such with another team that don’t have the pieces around to even allow me to become even better,” White told The Pivot podcast in August 2024. “For me, I know I have to rebuild myself and show I can be that dominant middle linebacker … to be on a great team that’s going to be great in the future and I want to be around long term.”
Bucs’ Former No. 5 Overall Pick Called NFL’s Best ‘Bargain Free Agent’