Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Devin White Healthy, Fast, Flying Around, 'Makes Us a Faster Defense'

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were ridiculed by many who scoffed at the idea of drafting an off-ball linebacker with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Two years after taking him there they were getting the last laugh and the Buccaneers were hailed as roster-building geniuses as White, quarterback Tom Brady, and the rest of the organization celebrated the franchise's second Super Bowl Championship ever.

Coming off his latest bout with public drama and a lesser-discussed foot injury, Tampa Bay took the field with its polarizing linebacker armed with the knowledge that many have checked out on his persona, but not on wanting to see the team win regardless.

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What White did last weekend in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars was remind everyone why they once viewed him as the best up-and-coming linebacker in the game.

“He can help us a great deal – you saw that on Sunday," coach Todd Bowles said of White. "A healthy Devin, a fast Devin, Devin flying around like he did Sunday, makes us a faster defense.”

All of that flying around White did in Week 16 led to four tackles, half a sack, and a key interception early that helped the Bucs take control of the game as they jetted out to a 30-0 lead before the Jaguars put up even a single point.

He also played 95 percent of the defensive snaps for the Buccaneers, more than most expected as linebacker K.J. Britt was expected to have an increased role due to White's antics, injury, performance, or a mixture of all three.

"Obviously, we got up early, so some of the packages [the defense] would have had where K.J. [Britt] got more time didn’t materialize," Bowles said. "It ended up being that type of ballgame. That doesn’t mean we’re through using K.J. because we are going to use him some.”

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As the story of White's hot and cold relationship with Tampa Bay, its fans, and the media outlets that cover it all continues the team has a chance to clinch its third-consecutive NFC South Division with a win over the New Orleans Saints this Sunday.

That is target No. 1, and all involved know it's going to take a team effort to not get caught in a trap game that makes Week 18 against the Carolina Panthers a must-win contest.

Getting that same healthy, fast, and flying-around version of White would certainly be a welcome site two weeks ago, and might just help the Bucs clinch a playoff spot.

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