Proposed Trade Sends Buccaneers' Star Linebacker to Detroit Lions

In a proposed trade, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would net a second-round draft pick from the Detroit Lions in exchange for their star linebacker.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Devin White drama surrounding the latter's public trade request a few months back has died down a bit since White showed up to participate in training camp.

The two sides have been at a standstill over a contract extension as White enters the last year of his current contract, but it seems that White has got the message from the Buccaneers' front office that he will need to prove he is worth the contract he is seeking from them.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Select Starting Quarterback For Preseason Game Against Pittsburgh Steelers

With the Bucs' first preseason game of 2023 quickly approaching, White sat down with the media following Monday's training camp practice in which he stated he may have been a bit "selfish" when speaking about his trade request.

#Buccaneers star Devin White speaks about his trade request for the first time.

“I don’t think it’s just about being paid, it’s about being the guy who was drafted here and doing a lot for this program. Just want to be the long term guy. We just didn’t make it happen when I… pic.twitter.com/RRt6jPu6sI

— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) August 7, 2023

Even though it seems things have been patched up between White and the Buccaneers, things could always go south as the season progresses.

In a proposed trade by Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should consider trading linebacker Devin White to the Detroit Lions for a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Per Ballentine, "This trade is about two teams that are on different trajectories.

"The Buccaneers have to be honest with themselves. The Tom Brady era is over and they are closer to drafting No. 1 overall than hoisting a Lombardi Trophy right now.

"The Lions, however, have legitimate hype behind them for the first time in a long time. They're on the verge of earning their first playoff berth since 2016.

"So when a player like Devin White, who plays a non-premium position, is a year away from a big extension and has requested a trade, the Buccaneers should be willing to make some calls. Given White's skills and age (25), the Lions should be willing to part with a top-100 draft pick to pair him with Jack Campbell in the middle of their defense.

"The pick would give the Buccaneers additional draft ammo for a draft that may yield a franchise quarterback while giving the Lions another potential building block."

READ MORE: Proposal Brings 49ers QB To Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ballentine is correct in his assessment, but there are still a ton of unknowns when it comes to how the Bucs season will play out in 2023-24. Depending on the direction that the team starts and how effective White is on defense will determine the Bucs' game plan on how they want to handle the situation.

The least of their worries at this moment is on what to do with White as the focus has geared towards the start of the season. Whether things go well or not with the White situation, the Buccaneers seem to be in a good position no matter what as they can ultimately decide to ship him off for draft capital, and/or another player, or retain him by paying him for what he brings to the team.

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