Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White could be the next high-profile player to find a new home.
The 2019 first-round draft pick has reportedly requested a trade out of Tampa Bay ahead of his fifth season with the franchise, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Once thought a building block of a ferocious Buccaneers defense, Tampa Bay has fallen on hard times after winning a Super Bowl in 2021.
The team went 8-9 in Brady’s last season with the franchise and won a meager NFC South. It earned them a quick playoff exit and a first-place schedule for 2023.
While the Bucs haven’t necessarily signaled any desire to blow up the roster, White could be a very lucrative trade candidate for a contending team and net Tampa Bay $11.7 million in cap space and a respective draft pick and/or player.
Bucs’ Pro Bowl LB Devin White has in fact requested a trade, as @JennaLaineESPN reported. Bucs do not want to trade him, but he wants to be traded as he is coming up on his fifth-year option.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2023
While Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht says he has “no intention” of trading White, things change rapidly around the 2023 NFL Draft and a trade is absolutely possible.
White is reportedly seeking a contract worth $18-20 million, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: #Buccaneers LB Devin White is reportedly seeking $18-20 million per year in a new contract, someone with knowledge of the negotiations told @JennaLaineESPN
This would put White on par with some of the highest paid LBs in the NFL pic.twitter.com/KnmlHaZNM4
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) April 13, 2023
What teams could pay White’s fifth-year salary and would pry with a higher draft pick to acquire the former second-team All-Pro linebacker?