Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
The fall of Devin White in Tampa Bay was a long, shallow slide until this season when it appeared that the team’s patience for the 2019 fifth-overall pick had run out. While White’s first two seasons showed considerable promise, the last three years became an exercise in disappointment, both in his potential and his fit on the team.
The 2023 season was White’s worst in the NFL, at least statistically. He recorded career lows in tackles and sacks. This can largely be attributed to an early season foot injury that cost him three games and hampered him in several more. This injury made clear that without his superior athleticism, White was a complete liability as a starting linebacker.
When it became clear the Bucs wanted White to play out the 2023 season on his fifth year option, he demanded a trade, perhaps with some expectation that he would sign the $100 million deal that he portended as a draft prospect. That is not going to happen.
Replacement: K.J. Britt
Fortunately for Tampa Bay, White’s replacement is likely already on the roster. Britt does not have White’s pure speed, but he is a much better linebacker. He is disciplined in his run fits and actually has a nose for the football.
