Four Potential Landing Spots Identified Following Devin White's Trade Request
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got surprising news on Wednesday when reports broke that star linebacker Devin White had requested a trade. White is apparently looking for an extension rather than playing out the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. That leaves the Buccaneers between a rock and a hard place as the franchise debates what to do next.
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Obviously, it doesn't make a ton of sense to trade the former LSU star considering his contract and what he brings to Tampa Bay on the defensive side of the ball. At the same time, the situation may not be worth the headache if White continues to be tough to handle.
That could lead to the franchise deciding to part ways with White via trade or by releasing him. If that is the route that things go down, multiple teams will likely be lining up for his services.
CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani recently identified four potential landing spots for White. According to Dajani, the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, and Buffalo Bills are a couple of franchises to keep your eyes on.
The Eagles came up short in the Super Bowl last season but still have a large window of contention under quarterback Jalen Hurts. Acquiring White makes sense along a defense that saw starting linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White leave in free agency. Philadelphia will be turning to 2022 third-round pick Nakobe Dean and veteran Nicholas Morris to step into starting roles. White provides a proven option out of the gate.
The Texans are an interesting option considering the franchise is in the middle of a rebuild. Does it make a ton of sense to pay top dollar for a linebacker when there are plenty of other holes across the roster? That's up to Houston's front office to decide but the franchise does have the cap space to add White. New head coach DeMeco Ryan is a former linebacker and understands the importance of fielding a strong defense.
The Vikings are coming off a successful regular season that resulted in a disappointing playoff peformance. That leaves the team in a bind as the franchise weighs its options on how to move forward. There are decisions to be made regarding the futures of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Dalvin Cook. Minnesota had one of the worst defenses in the league last season and adding a young star such as White could help the unit take a step in the right direction if the team wants to make another postseason run.
Like the Eagles, the Buffalo Bills have all of their chips on the table and are trying to take advantage of a roster that includes Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Von Miller, among other talents. The team chose to part ways with Tremaine Edmunds in free agency after failing to come to terms on a long-term deal. Buffalo probably won't be afraid to get aggressive after the way last season ended. Paired with All-Pro Matt Milano, White could do some damage for the Bills.
Though Tampa Bay doesn't want to move on from White, there's no telling how this situation will unfold. It's up to the Buccaneers to keep all of their options open with the draft approaching. The team will save $11.7 million if they trade him this offseason.
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