Eagles Nearly Traded Former Bucs LB Before Week 1

Devin White's tenure in Philadelphia after leaving the Buccaneers hasn't been going according to plan.

Jan 1, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White (45) reacts after a play against the Carolina Panthers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

When former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White joined the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, he joined a team that lacked linebacker depth, an area that was perhaps its only weakness. That would mean he'd have a good chance to start on paper, but apparently, that's not quite how things went for him in Philly.

White played for the Buccaneers for five years, and while he started at linebacker for each of those five seasons, his tenure in Tampa Bay in 2023 was rocky, to say the least. He requested a trade in the offseason after not getting extended on his fifth-year option, and he played poorly enough during that season that he was phased out for linebacker K.J. Britt. Philadelphia offered him a chance to revitalize his career, but things haven't been going to plan, it would seem.

White isn't traveling with the team to Brazil to play the Green Bay Packers on Friday due to an ankle injury, and MMQB NFL reporter Albert Breer tweeted on Wednesday that there were whispers that the Eagles could have traded him before cutdowns due to the emergence of free agent acquisition Zack Baun and third-year linebacker Nakobe Dean.

There were murmurs that the Eagles could trade Devin White before the cutdown—Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean both were really good in camp. So, fair or not, White missing the opener won’t help his case for a big role in the defense. https://t.co/6Sm5wIIETw

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 4, 2024

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That's certainly not the type of play from White that would demand the big extension he wanted in Tampa Bay last offseason. And while it's possible that White's injury is affecting him greatly, him not playing on Friday won't do him any favors, as Breer mentioned.

White posted 364 solo tackles, 23 sacks, six forced fumbles and three interceptions in the 76 games he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was an instrumental part of the team's Super Bowl run in 2020, netting a second-team All-Pro for his efforts, but he's been somewhat of a frustrating player at times — his overcommitment on angles and lack of ball awareness has bitten the Bucs more times than his ability to make splash plays has helped them over the years, and it seems as if those problems could be carrying over in Philadelphia.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will reunite with White when they play the Eagles in Week 4 — if White is playing, that is.

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