Eagles Trade for Devin White the Missing 'Key Ingredient' for GM Howie Roseman?
Nobody should 'expect' Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to trade for - and extend - Tampa Bay Buccaneers' disgruntled linebacker Devin White.
But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen, or even shouldn't, as White could be a big part of the Eagles' current Super Bowl pursuits.
"Talk about the rich getting richer," wrote NFL.com when projecting Philadelphia as a top landing spot for White if the Bucs were to grant his trade request. "Roseman is certainly no stranger to wheeling and dealing. Despite the Eagles' reluctance to pay big bucks for off-ball linebackers in the past, they could see White as a key ingredient to a championship-caliber defense."
When the trade request news broke, Eagles Today quoted one NFC South scout saying White is a "great athlete but too often it doesn’t translate."
And in 2022, fan frustrations with the Buccaneers linebacker grew to an all-time high when he was seen jogging in pursuit of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson while his teammates - some of them defensive linemen - ran past him to try and make the play.
In fact, that play got the attention of former Tampa Bay defensive lineman and Hall of Fame defender, Warren Sapp.
But would Roseman consider flipping on his methodology when it comes to paying - or not paying - off-ball linebackers to add a player who had his best days during the Buccaneers' Super Bowl run in the 2020 NFL Season?
"The veteran would give Philly another playmaker to feature as part of a dynamic pressure package under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai," NFL.com continues. "White could add a new dimension to a defense with a deep-and-talented rotation along the front line."
Super Bowl windows don't stay open for long, and teams will do some unorthodox things to capitalize on the opportunity to pull a Lombardi through it while it is.
Most NFL teams don't want to trade multiple first-round picks for a quarterback over the age of 32 and then add $100 million-plus to their salary cap.
But the Los Angeles Rams did just that in the 2021 offseason, and it got them to a Super Bowl where quarterback Matthew Stafford led them to victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The year after that, Stafford played in just nine games, the Rams are no longer even the favorite in the NFC West, and they have to eat over $100 million in dead cap if they decide to move on from the 35-year-old quarterback.
Do the Rams regret it? We doubt it.
And the Lombardi Trophy in their headquarters reminds them of the cost being worth the results.
If you ask us, Roseman taking on a similar cost in pursuit of the same goals for Philadelphia wouldn't be the worst idea, and he's smart enough to make sure it doesn't lock down his roster flexibility for the next five years in the process.
Find David on Twitter @DHarrison82
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