Buccaneers avoid Devin White drama as training camp starts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a relatively quiet offseason, outside of the radar blip that was Devin White and his trade request. Fortunately, for the Bucs, that chapter can be closed as White reported to training camp on Tuesday. ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report the news. White requested a trade back […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a relatively quiet offseason, outside of the radar blip that was Devin White and his trade request.
Fortunately, for the Bucs, that chapter can be closed as White reported to training camp on Tuesday. ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report the news.
White requested a trade back in March due to frustrations with the Buccaneers' front office. The Pro Bowl linebacker wants a contract extension -and a hefty one, at that- but right now, the feeling is he still has to go out and prove that he can play at a high level on a consistent basis.
White is simply too overaggressive, at times, and has way too many lapses in his game to command the dollar amount he seeks. He's not making awful money in 2023, either. Per Spotrac, he's set to make $11.706 million in cash this year, which is the seventh-most among all inside linebackers. And, it's all fully guaranteed.
Now, granted, White could execute a "hold-in", which means he'll just stand on the sidelines during practices in order to avoid the $50k a day fine that comes with missing training camp while under contract. But, that would be counterintuitive for a player that is still on their rookie deal.
So, he needs to simply buckle down and prove to the Bucs that he can put it all together for 17 games in a season. This is a big year for both White and the franchise. The best way to move forward is to work together and make this the best year possible for both sides, that way both parties can enter a 2024 season with more possibilities than limitations.
Featured image via Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
