Linebacker Devin White had a quick fall from grace. After being a top-five draft pick in 2019, he got off to a quick start. He was an All-Pro by his second year and was a key player during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ Super Bowl run.
He continued to put up strong numbers for the team, but they decided to let him walk once his rookie contract was up. Despite his key role on the Super Bowl team, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, who is Raiders general manager John Spytek’s former boss, recently came out and said that he wouldn’t have drafted White in hindsight.
“Knowing what I know now, he would have been off my board,” Licht told The Athletic. “It was too much about him.”
That’s a pretty candid quote from a current general manager, but White isn’t buying it. He does think Licht still would’ve drafted him and called out the general manager.
“For [Licht] to say what he said, man, we hosted a Super Bowl trophy together, so none of that matters,” White said on the “Nightcap” podcast.
“What he knows, he would [draft me] again because I helped him. On that run that we made, I feel like I was a key part of it. No cocky. If you look at the numbers and the stats, like I missed a playoff game and had the most tackles in the postseason out of any [Bucs] player.”
White Wanted a New Contract
White did request a trade from the Buccaneers in 2023 that Tampa Bay didn’t honor. It seems like there may be some bad blood stemming from that.
From White’s perspective, he thought he had earned a contract and didn’t understand why the team wouldn’t pay him.
“I wasn’t trying to be selfish, but I wanted what was due,” White said. “I felt like I did everything right there from on the field to off the field, in the community, being a team captain every year. And when I asked to [get paid after four seasons], you know, I got looked at crazy and I don’t know why.”
It’s safe to say that White and Licht aren’t going to be close friends anytime soon.
White Playing Well for Raiders
Though Licht clearly isn’t a fan of White, he was good enough for Spytek to give him a shot with the Raiders. Spytek was with the Buccaneers during White’s entire tenure with the team.
While he hasn’t been an All-Pro, White has been playing well for the Raiders. He leads the team with 64 total tackles, which is also tied for the 11th-most in the NFL. He’s also second on the team with seven tackles for loss.
One thing White could do for the Raiders is get after the quarterback more. He only has 1.0 sack on the season. Considering the team signed him to a one-year deal, he’s exceeding expectations. If he continues the strong play, the Raiders should consider giving him a multi-year contract once the season comes to an end.
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