Devin White signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles worth up to $4 million last offseason.
It looked like White would be the team’s starting middle (MIKE) linebacker, but after Nakobe Dean overtook him on the depth chart, White’s job changed to backup. He has been utilized sparingly in his first two games.
With White likely relegated to a reserve position, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the Eagles linebacker is one of the league’s top trade targets. Graziano listed the Buffalo Bills as a potential trade partner, along with two other AFC teams.
“He sat out the first game of the season because of an ankle injury but was a healthy inactive for the Week 2 Monday night game against the Falcons,” Graziano said of White. He further added:
“Of the $4 million the Eagles gave him, more than half was in the form of a signing bonus, so he’d be an extremely cheap veteran option for a team in need.”
More about Eagles LB. Devin White has been named a trade candidate for the Buffalo Bills
White, 26, has started 75 games in the last five seasons, all of them with the Tampa Bay Bucs. In 14 games (13 starts) with Tampa Bay last season, he had 83 total tackles (5 for loss), 9 quarterback hits, 6 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, and 2.5 sacks.
White won a Super Bowl with the Bucs following the 2020 season and has been a valuable contributor and starter at linebacker in each of the last five seasons. In 2020, he was named second-team All-Pro, and in 2021, he was selected to the Pro Bowl.
If the Eagles decided to deal him, they could have some interested parties. Due to recent injuries at the LB position, Graziano identified the Bills as the most likely trade destination for White.
“They lost Matt Milano to a torn biceps in the preseason and Terrel Bernard to a pectoral strain in Week 2 against Miami,” Graziano pointed out. “Buffalo could need more veteran help at the second and third tiers of defence. The Raiders and Patriots both make sense.”
Will the Eagles part with White? Given that he was a healthy scratch in Week 2, it’s a strong likelihood. Another free agent signing for the Eagles this offseason was LB Zack Baun, who inked a one-year contract worth $1.6 million and has performed admirably thus far.
The Eagles’ depth after Baun and Dean includes fifth-round rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr., veteran Oren Burks, and Ben VanSumeren. It is not unrealistic to believe Philly would move on if an interested team phoned.
Emergence of LB Nakobe Dean Makes a Positive Sign for Eagles
Dean, a third-round choice out of Georgia by the Eagles in 2022, appeared in all 17 games as a rookie, but he only played 34 defensive snaps. Injuries to his feet and back hindered him during his sophomore season. He played in only five games.
Now that he’s well, the third-year LB says he feels better than ever.
“I feel better after everything. “I feel like I’ve improved from my first two years,” Dean remarked in August, according to the team’s official website.
“I’m older and mature, and I’m doing a lot of the little things that I need to do after and before practice to prepare my body for a 17-game, 20-game, or 21-game season. It has pushed me, and I am clawing my way back.”
He has started both games for the Eagles this season, recording 11 tackles (2 for loss) and one pass defensed. It’s early, but if he stays fit, he’ll finally be able to make an impact on the defence.
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