Eagles Trade for Devin White? Philadelphia's Too Disciplined to Deal

The Philadelphia Eagles need a linebacker. Fittingly, the talented Devin White wants out of Tampa Bay, but also wants a lot of money.

PHILADELPHIA - Even if you stipulate that the Philadelphia Eagles don’t value off-ball linebackers when compared to other positions, few would argue that the reigning NFC champions need reinforcements after losing T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White in free agency.

Enter Devin White, the insanely gifted linebacker who wants out of what looks like a rebuilding situation post-Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If the Eagles had to play today, the starters at linebacker for new defensive coordinator Sean Desai and newly-minted position coach D.J. Eliot would be Nakobe Dean, fresh off playing 34 defensive snaps as a rookie, and bargain basement free-agent signing Nicholas Morrow, who arrived in Philadelphia from the Chicago Bears on a one-year, $1.155 million deal.

Of the 51 off-ball linebackers signed in free agency to date, only five received less than Morrow and while NFL decision-makers are far from perfect when it comes to personnel decisions, the reality of those numbers tells you what the league thinks.

With only potential and a Band-Aid in place, Philadelphia could certainly use a talent infusion on the second level.

Edwards and White weren’t splashy last season but they were rocks on what was the No. 2 defense in the NFL. They were the Eagles’ top two tacklers last season, combining for 268 stops – 13 for loss – 3 ½ sacks, 15 pass breakups, and a forced fumble while playing in 1,885 of a potential 2,212 snaps.

Edwards, the team’s “green dot” as the defensive play-caller played 94 percent of the time (1,041 out of a possible 1,106 reps) and White was at 76 percent (844 of 1,106). Each stayed healthy and played all 20 games through the Super Bowl LVII loss to Kansas City, meaning the LB3, Dean, was on the field for clean-up duty only.

Edwards lasted just 16 minutes in free agency, agreeing to a three-year, $19.5 million deal with his hometown Chicago Bears after grading out as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best off-ball linebacker. The contract was the sixth-most lucrative at the position in the open market and one of only nine contracts for three years or more at the position.

White signed with the Los Angeles Chargers on a two-year, $10M deal, one of only 17 free agents at off-ball linebacker to get multiple years. In other words, Edwards got a top-10 contract at the position in free agency and White top 20.

Other than Edwards’ new teammate in Chicago, former Buffalo Bills standout Tremaine Edmunds at four years and $72M, no one went even near where the disgruntled Devin White wants to go with his next contract.

The No. 5 pick out of LSU in 2019, White is a rare talent, so gifted that many have missed the plot during his first four seasons with the Bucs, instead focusing on the pedigree and one Nick Foles-like run in the postseason after the 2020 campaign.

For that three-game stretch on the biggest stage, White lived up to his lofty reputation. It started with 11 tackles, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery, and an interception of Drew Brees as the Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints, 30–20, in the divisional round.

In the Bucs’ NFC Championship Game 31-26 win over the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers, White was a sideline-to-sideline monster with 15 tackles and a fumble recovery before finishing the deal in the Super Bowl LV blowout of Kansas City with 12 tackles – two for loss – and an interception of Patrick Mahomes in the end zone.

When you consider the stakes, it’s not hyperbole to say White had one of the best three-game stretches any linebacker has ever had in the modern era against three certain future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Brees, Rodgers and Mahomes.

However, if you peel back the onion a bit, things get far more complicated. Since arriving in Tampa, White's PFF grades have been an abject disaster: grading out as No. 68 of 90 off-ball LBs as a rookie, No. 62 of 83 in his second season, No. 79 of 86 in Year 3, and finally No. 74 of 81 last season.

He never even became the best linebacker on the Tampa defense, a spot reserved for productive veteran Lavonte David.

“Just a great athlete but too often it doesn’t translate,” an NFC South scout told SI.com’s Eagles Today. “He over-pursues a lot and misses out on a lot of plays he should be in a position to make. … His athleticism doesn’t translate into coverage either. It’s about patience and White has trouble slowing down and letting things come to him.

“Take Edwards up there [with the Eagles]. He’s a natural when it comes to instincts. You don’t see false steps. They're not even close as athletes but if you take one false step [at LB] it’s going to be a negative play [in most cases].”

Despite failing to live up to the expectations, the Bucs are willing to pay White at his fifth-year option rate at $11.7 million in 2023 but he reportedly wants an extension that would make him one of the highest-paid LBs in football.

Because of his athleticism and upside, the Eagles would surely swing at White in the same lottery-ticket fashion they have with players like Rashaad Penny, Greedy Williams, Terrell Edmunds, and even Morrow.

In other words, on a very low-risk, high-reward deal.

The Eagles weren't willing to pay Edwards, a player they should take pride in after uncovering him as an undrafted free agent and developing him. Expecting Philadelphia to go well beyond that for more sizzle but less substance is unlikely.

Williams, a teammate of White's at LSU, excited Philadelphia fans by posting about his friend joining him in Philadelphia on social media, and White responded, "Let's make it happen."

Don't expect Howie Roseman to join in with that sentiment.

Although the Eagles’ GM is like everyone else and is surely enamored with White’s physical gifts, he’s too savvy to bite at this apple, at least until the big money dissipates.

"He should be one of the top linebackers in the NFL," the scout said of White. "He's not but every now and again he'll make something happen that will make you say 'wow.'"

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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen